THE HOUSE THAT FREEDOMS BUILT

Three white single-room structures with peaked roofs structures sit in a row near the entrance to a building made with red brick and carved sand-brown stone. The white structures are pierced and carved into dense, ornamental, filigree-like patterns.

About the INSTALLATION

LA VAUGHN BELLE
BORN 1974, TOBAGO, TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO;
ACTIVE SAINT CROIX, US VIRGIN ISLANDS

La Vaughn Belle is a multidisciplinary artist whose work focuses on the often-forgotten colonial narratives embedded in the architecture and material culture of contemporary society. Her practice frequently centers on the Caribbean island of Saint Croix—long claimed as a territory by variousEuropean nations, including nearly 200 years as a colony of Denmark, before being sold to the US in 1916. For the entryway to the museum, Belle designed three structures inspired by the shapes of 18th-century houses built by formerly enslaved people who negotiated their freedom and were allowed to settle in Christiansted, Saint Croix. The architectural embellishment known as fretwork adorning each structure is a nod to homes in the town of Frederiksted. The community was the site of the 1878 Fireburn rebellion, an important labor revolt that resulted in much of the town being destroyed. Residents added these fretwork designs to their houses during Frederiksted’s reconstruction. Through thoughtful engagement with St. Croix’s architecture and history, Belle not only honors the legacy of resilience and creativity on the island but also invites viewers to reflect on the complex narratives of colonization and cultural heritage that continue to shape contemporary society.

Visual description

Situated outside of Cooper Hewitt, we encounter three white houses with pitched roofs; each roughly [insert height and width]. The little houses are evenly spaced between the main iron and stone gate of the mansion; creating two pathways, diverging around the center house, for visitors to enter through.   

Each structure is a nod to homes found in the town of Frederiksted in St. Croix, US Virgin Islands, and more specifically inspired by the shapes of 18th-century houses built by formerly enslaved people of St. Croix. The artist used an architectural embellishment known as fretwork to create the elaborate patterning effect on the structure’s walls and slanted roofs. The designs are carved into the surface, cutting away the negative space. If you touch the structure, you might feel the geometric shape’s curvature, twisting  along the façade. From a distance the structures could look like they are made of lace or lattice. 

If we peer into the houses, they may at first appear empty however, if you look down at the flooring you will find that the base is covered in small, smooth, round white stones. 

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