Dominique White at Kunsthalle Basel

Written by Joas Nebe.

The exhibition spaces have been darkened intentionally, with ceiling lights shrouded, allowing both the rooms and the installations to be accentuated by focused spotlights. In this immersive environment, the artist transports us back to the era of the transatlantic slave trade during the 17th century, a harrowing chapter in history which saw the involvement not only of American shipowners but also countless Europeans and, significantly, Africans themselves. Within the cargo hold of those sailing vessels, under inhumane conditions, several hundred, at times even thousands, of Black individuals were crammed together and subjected to transport across the Atlantic for weeks or months, enduring abject circumstances. These individuals were regarded less as human beings and more as commodities, serving as investments requiring protection both from the traders, the slave dealer, and the buyers.

We will find the heritage of the artist's ancestors having been forcibly taken to Jamaica, and through this solo exhibition at Kunsthalle Basel, she endeavors to create a visual narrative which speaks directly to all of us, transcending the boundaries of time and place. Beginning with her research into the transatlantic slave trade, White uncovers centuries-old legal documents pertaining to a case of insurance fraud. The ‘cargo’, namely, the human freight was of course insured as any prudent merchant would do; institutions such as Lloyd's, one of the initial marine underwriters, presumably offered such policies. The case that captures White's attention involves blatant insurance fraud: a ship laden with Black individuals encounters distress at sea and deviates from its course. The crew, faced with an overcrowded situation, makes a conscious decision to lighten the load by casting Black individuals overboard, a deliberate act aimed at saving their own lives. Despite having lost part of the cargo, the shipment eventually reaches its destination, yet the shipowner still seeks compensation from the insurer, a situation inevitably leading to legal proceedings, a testament to the enduring nature of insurance fraud through the ages.

While such incidents might seem typical for the era, what distinctly sets this case apart is the unprecedented reference in legal documents to human beings rather than mere ‘cargo’. This context aligns with the time of Melville’s Moby-Dick, the age of perilous mercantile ventures and whalers setting out in small vessels to confront titanic creatures of the sea. During an era when maritime law barely existed in infancy, offshore and coastal waters alike, control of the seas belonged to those wielding the most manpower and firepower, with slave traders commanding massive vessels which ruled the Atlantic.

However difficult may be to immerse oneself in such a historical past, which always serves as a canvas for projecting contemporary experiences, a fact acknowledged by every historian, insight can be gleaned, albeit contingent upon sources and the subjective openness of the author. Past events are indeed behind us. Navigating this territory proves treacherous, much like traversing uncharted shallows, yet Dominique White discovers a method to transcend these challenges. She elevates the level of abstraction within her artwork, employing decayed fragments, crafted not from remnants but newly fashioned in Italy by skilled artisans. Curved hull portions and distorted steel rods emerge as symbols. Historically, steel components served only as connecting pieces on brigs and schooners given their expense, while most vessels were constructed of wood, though such detail pales in comparison to White's aim of creating a metaphor relevant to contemporary times, wherein steel ships are manufactured from structural beams expected to endure for four decades, only to be corroded and scrapped at bargain prices in distant locales like India.

Consequently, White weaves a narrative recounting her ancestors' historical abduction, while maintaining sufficient abstraction to resonate with our own experiences. We confront the images of slave ships run aground, their riggings rotting, and hulls lying in ruins, an experience encapsulated in the exhibition presented by White at Kunsthalle Basel.

Dominique White: All Great Powers Collapse from the Centre

13 February - 17 May 2026

Kunsthalle Basel

Steinenberg 7 CH-4051Basel, Switzerland

Di/Mi/Fr: 11 – 18 UhrDo: 11 – 20:30 Uhr Sa/So: 11 – 17 Uhr

+41 61 206 99 00info@kunsthallebasel.ch

https://kunsthallebasel.ch/de/