LAKOU SEKRÈ // SAKRE
By Laurie Germain
LAKOU SEKRÈ // SAKRE is an altar to the queer Haitian experience in Crown Heights. The participatory, oral history installation is inspired by el secreto abierto, or the open secret ~ a phrase coined by Rosmand King to articulate the ways that queerness in the Caribbean moves as something seen but unsaid, resulting in a mandate of discretion. The circular installation creates a semi-transparent boundary in order to invert the open secrets mandate of discretion by allowing those standing inside it to be seen within a queer experience. Inside the circle // secret , participants are invited to listen with curiosity to the stories of the narrators in reflection of their own experiences as queer Haitians in the Lakou.
This installation is also presented as part of the Haiti Cultural Exchange, Lakou Nou Artist Residency. As an Artist in Residence, Laurie has been creating activations around the Queer Haitian experience in Crown Heights. The installation will be on view in a shared exhibition from April 27th - May 4th 2025.