Atlantic Worlds Gallery Reflection Space

The Atlantic Worlds Gallery Reflection Space is a zone designed to encourage reflection on the challenging histories explored within the National Maritime Museum's slavery-focused exhibition, Atlantic World, which first opened in 2007.

Seventeen years after its initial launch, the Atlantic Worlds exhibition had become outdated, employing language, perspectives, and visuals that were, at times, insensitive and inaccurate. Additionally, the exhibition's subject matter was emotionally demanding. In response, POoR and other artists and designers were commissioned to create thoughtful interventions within the gallery. These aimed to convey the brutal realities of the transatlantic slave trade while celebrating the lives and resilience of African people before, during, and after the period.

Inspired by the forms of the Ghanaian 'palanquin' (or ceremonial umbrella), the Reflection Space offers a sanctuary for respite and contemplation. It provides visitors with an opportunity to engage meaningfully with the difficult themes of the exhibition, whether individually or collectively. The Reflection Space is divided into three thematic sections, each rooted in the concept of Refuge: The Glorious Past, During Slavery, and Reflection and Future.