The Slave House as Symbolic Artifact

The Slave House on Gorée Island serves as a powerful symbolic artifact, embodying the trauma of ancestral separation and the cultural memory transmitted through generations displaced by the Trans-Atlantic slave trade. This study argues that the structure is architecturally beatified by Black ancestral spirits, acting as a witness to the emotional connection between present-day descendants and their past. Utilizing an autoethnographic approach with first-person narrative, the research explores how spaces, places, and architectural structures central to the Slave House contribute to the creation of diasporic identity. The findings highlight the Slave House's role in preserving and transmitting cultural memory, bridging the gap between historical trauma and contemporary Black identity.

Albert, T. W., & Tan, L. (2021). The Slave House as Symbolic Artifact. Journal of Interior Design, 46(2), 55–72. https://doi.org/10.1111/joid.12184