This exhibition is now on a
tour of the UK
A warning against human greed, exploitation and
enslavement, made from materials including petrol cans, spices, and
audio and video elements.
La Bouche du Roi was created between 1997 and 2005 by
Romuald Hazoumé, an artist from the Republic of Bénin, West
Africa.
Literally translated as ‘The Mouth of the King’, the title
refers to a place in Bénin from where many thousands of
slaves were transported to the Americas and the Caribbean. However,
La Bouche du Roi is primarily a warning against all kinds of human
greed, exploitation and enslavement, both historical and
contemporary.
A profound and thought-provoking artistic statement by Beninese
artist Romuald Hazoumé, it is made from a combination of materials,
including petrol cans, spices, and audio and visual elements. The
artwork’s arrangement recalls the famous 18th-century print of the
slave ship, the Brookes, which was used to great effect by
Abolitionists.
A recitation of Yoruba, Mahi and Wémé names, the terrible sounds
and smells of a slave ship, and a video of black market
petrol-runners in modern Bénin are other elements which combine to
make La Bouche du Roi a truly remarkable and thought-provoking work
of art in which the connections between past, present and future
are made profoundly real.