Caribbean Carnivals

2006-2007animation / digital video, 4:40, stereo.

From the project and series Flag Metamorphoses (2005-2014).

(With the flags of the countries Ghana – Puerto Rico – Congo – Antigua & Barbuda – Togo – Trinidad & Tobago – Gambia – Dominica – Gabun – Haiti – Benin – Dominican Republic – Cape Verde – Barbados – Mali – Saint Vincent & Grenadines – Senegal – Grenada – Cameroon).

Caribbean Carnivals and their African roots: The animation features flags from West and Central Africa, from the Caribbean islands, and images with carnival figures. The transition from an African to a Caribbean state flag shows pale colours, because white is often the colour for death and mourning in Africa – so was the way for people from that continent, when they were brought as slaves to the Caribbean. The transformations from a Caribbean to an African flag display carnival figures, costumes and masks that are reminiscent of cultures of Africa, which influenced all Caribbean carnivals. Their mythic characters interact in various ways with the graphical symbols of the flags. This animation reflects Myriam Thyes‘ long experience with works on symbols, their meanings and historical changes. The artist about her metamorphoses of signs: „Symbols of identities turn into elements of dialogues.“

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(Due to the web construction works, partly transitional links to the archive of Myriam Thyes.)

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