After the Earthquake(s), We Danced
Jan 24 – March 21, 2025
Opening Reception
Jan 24, 2 to 4 p.m.
Haiti’s cultural legacy has long been eclipsed by the country’s misfortunes. The international community can be blind to a place they do not understand. Its otherness and mysticism serve as a cautionary tale instead of one of inspiration and triumph.
Haiti’s negative publicity is by design. The country disrupted economic and cultural norms when it bought its independence from France on January 1, 1804. France’s $21 billion emancipation debt dashed the country’s economic hopes, and world nations and news sources derided the world’s first black republic lest it inspire further revolts in the Antilles.
These unfortunate narratives bleed into today’s news, stories, and reels, obscuring the other side of Haiti.
Writer and photographer, Huáscar Robles entered Haiti to explore the other side of trauma. More than a nation struggling after the January 12, 2010, earthquake, he found a country dancing over the rubble. Haitians defied fear at the rhythm of konpa in Port-au-Prince, and elevated their voices in the sprouting tent cities that sprouted up during Easter celebrations. The Ayikodans dance troupe employed Voodoo rhythms to connect Haitians with their ancestors, and, in Souvenance, the cycle of life and death of Voodoo traditions remained intact.
Sound and syncopation are maps of resilience. This collection of photos serves as a guide to Haiti’s resistance and revival. Robles traces these stories from Port-au-Prince after the earthquake all the way to Akin, Souvenance, and all the enclaves of art and culture that remind us that Haiti’s cultural patrimony deserves its place in history.
– Huascar Robles
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Contact Us
Let us know if you have any questions or concerns.
4814 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, California
During Exhibitions:
Thursday – Saturday: 12:30 pm – 4:30 pm
*Closed During City Holidays*
4814 Hollywood Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90027
BAC: (323) 644-6295
BJAC: (323) 644-6275
Barnsdall Arts Center (BAC), Barnsdall Junior Arts Center (BJAC), and BJAC Gallery are facilities operated by the City of Los Angeles, DCA
Public Land Acknowledgment
It is important that we prioritize respect for both the historic culture and the contemporary presence of indigenous peoples throughout California, and especially in the Los Angeles area. To that end, and particularly as a public and civic institution, we acknowledge that our facility resides on what was historically the homeland of Kizh, Tongva, and Chumash peoples who were dispossessed of their land.
4814 Hollywood Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90027
BAC: (323) 644-6295
BJAC: (323) 644-6275
Barnsdall Arts Center (BAC), Barnsdall Junior Arts Center (BJAC), and BJAC Gallery are facilities operated by the City of Los Angeles, DCA
Public Land Acknowledgment
It is important that we prioritize respect for both the historic culture and the contemporary presence of indigenous peoples throughout California, and especially in the Los Angeles area. To that end, and particularly as a public and civic institution, we acknowledge that our facility resides on what was historically the homeland of Kizh, Tongva, and Chumash peoples who were dispossessed of their land.
BAC: (323) 644-6295
BJAC: (323) 644-6275
Barnsdall Arts Center (BAC), Barnsdall Junior Arts Center (BJAC), and BJAC Gallery are facilities operated by the City of Los Angeles, DCA
Public Land Acknowledgement
It is important that we prioritize respect for both the historic culture and the contemporary presence of indigenous peoples throughout California, and especially in the Los Angeles area. To that end, and particularly as a public and civic institution, we acknowledge that our facility resides on what was historically the homeland of Kizh, Tongva, and Chumash peoples who were dispossessed of their land.
