‘It can be uncomfortable’: How a New York farmhouse deals with its racist past | Art

When people think of Manhattan buildings, there’s a good chance they think tall and brash, piercing skyscrapers so tourists can marvel.

But the borough is also home to the much more modest Dyckman Farmhouse, a white-planked house built in 1765. It’s the oldest farm in town, just off 204th Street in Inwood, once the home of Dutch farmer William. Dyckman, his family and their slaves.

It’s now known as the Dyckman Farmhouse Museum and this fall until tomorrow it pays homage to a neglected history in an exhibit called Unspoken Voices: Honoring the Legacy of Black America.

It features the works of three local artists, all women, who respond to the legacy of the farm and its past through slavery. It’s a way of telling untold stories, says Meredith Horsford, the museum’s executive director.

“Even though we are a historic site, we bring history back to our present time, and that connection is imperative when talking about race,” said Horsford. “It can be uncomfortable, but it still has to happen.”

Slavery, says Horsford, is a topic of interest to museum visitors, but with caution. “They think, oh we’re up north, that wasn’t a problem here,” she said. “From my point of view, working with artists in this field is a conversation starter, it’s generally a difficult topic to talk about.”

The exhibition, partially funded by the Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone, it all started when Horsford called for artists. Each artist then decided to take a different approach to the theme of slavery, pushing back layers of history. “The people who were enslaved were portrayed like this, but they don’t say much more,” she said.

On the Dyckman farm, there were about seven slaves living in the house, shortly after it was built. Records show that Francis Cudjoe was a slave who would later be freed in 1809, and others known only by their first names; Will, Gilbert, Harey and Blossum. A free black woman named Hannah, who was a freed descendant of slaves, worked as a cook for the house.

There was also a nearby slave cemetery, known as the Inwood Slave Burial Ground, which contained more than 30 slave families (today it’s a parking lot for a school on 212th Street).

“We wanted to give people a voice and make sure we were talking about multi-faceted individuals, people who have their own lives and families when they have been placed in these horrific situations,” adds Horsford. “We never mean, ‘These people were just slaves,’ because there is so much to the story.

In the exhibition, artist Gwendolyn Black created life-size figures, which represent some of the former inhabitants of the farm. One represents Hannah, the cook, who stands in the family kitchen to celebrate the heritage and roots of African American cuisine.

“I wanted 3D figurines, so that people could feel and see them, and we, today’s generations, are human,” Black said. “It’s something that wasn’t felt before. Each of them has fantastic stories to share, so I wanted to make sure that their story will be remembered.

Black created these figurines from mannequins standing 5ft 3in tall, masks inspired by African mask making and each wearing vintage clothing designed by Wilma Ann Sealy, who used gingham, calico, lace buttons. and vintage for every outfit. background, the song Like Leaves buzzes throughout the farm, co-written by Emme Kemp and Milton Polsky, dedicated to former slave Henry Box Brown, and is performed here by Black and Kemp.

“We have to learn from history; the good, the bad and the ugly, so that we can continue to make progress in eradicating systemic racism so that everyone can feel free, be free to enjoy life, ”Black said. “Not just selecting people.”

Meanwhile, artist Rachel Sydlowski uses the house’s first floor for an art installation that allows visitors to step back through history through UV light. His works of art are displayed on the fireplace in the “front room”, a recreation room where the entry of slaves was prohibited. The silkscreened foliage on paper continues behind the desk and in front of a grandfather clock.

The room is illuminated with UV light and features two UV-reactive ersatz candles, which visitors can use as a light source to search for images hidden through the foliage. It sheds light on information “relating to the lives of slaves hiding all over the room,” Sydlowski said. “These images are not visible under normal lighting conditions, and this revealing of information is similar to the act of searching for lost stories.

Sydlowski’s work is accompanied by formal wear made by Marquise Foster, “created especially for those who have been enslaved,” she said. “The show turns into a space for recognizing their life and their contribution; I chose this room because it was the most powerful on the farm, a place of ceremony and calculation.

He captures an ongoing battle. “New York City was divided when it came to slavery, and it was linked to capitalism and the creation of wealth in that county,” Sydlowski said. “My installation addresses the difficult truths about the history of slavery at Dyckman Farm, the city, the country and the lasting effects we still face today.

A series of expressive paintings, mixed media portraits, and a video installation can be found throughout the farm, created by artist Sheila Prevost, whose work responds to the African Burial Ground national monument in lower Manhattan.

“The highlighting of these burial sites increases awareness and understanding of the enslaved history of Africans through institutionalized racism to the present day,” said Prevost.

“Today we are constantly confronted with the brutality and murder of unarmed black men by law enforcement, and it is essential to recognize the common thread in the narrative of our past ideas, behaviors and leadership and present with regard to race and equality, ”she added.

“Following our recent elections, we learned how divided the country remains when it comes to race and equality; many of those who claim to be extremely pro-life still fail to recognize that black lives matter.