The impressive media work Black Bullets (2012) from Danish-Trinidadian artist Jeannette Ehlers is a tribute to the act of revolt, and especially to the Haitian slave revolution in 1791 – the only successful revolution run by slaves in history. The particularly cruel slavery practiced by the French colonial power led the slaves to revolt against the colonial government, which ultimately resulted in Haiti’s independence in 1804.
The touching film Black Bullets depicts walking human figures and their reflections against the sky on a historic fort in Haiti on top of a mountain. Ehler’s works often tackle serious topics such as racism and colonialism, as well as difficult themes such as Denmark’s often overlooked role as a slave nation.
Jeannette Ehlers (b. 1972) is an artist with a degree from The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts. Ehler’s art has been exhibited for example in a group exhibition CARIBBEAN: Crossroads of the world (2014) in Miami, as well as in her own solo exhibition in the Nikolaj Copenhagen Contemporary Art Center (2014).
https://www.jeannetteehlers.dk
Photo: Jeannette Ehlers: Black Bullets, 2012. Video still. ©EMMA