The fateful visions of ‘Ghetto Tarot are created by Belgian photographer Alice Smeets together with artist group.
Everywhere in the streets of Haiti, fateful visions from traditional tarot cards come alive. these are the work of Alice Smeets who is a photographer. She teamed up with the Haitian artists to reinterpret the early 20th-century rider-waite tarot.
She scatters the artists’ work throughout the scenes as props and backgrounds to honor the diverse talents of her subjects. The photographer took this opportunity to progress with her photographic work in Haiti, where she was awarded by UNICEF to have had the best photo of the year as she continues pursuing her fascination with the spiritual world. She explains for a while she had wanted to interpret the tarot decks with her photos but taking ordinary photos of the scene seemed too simple. She wanted to maintain the different spirits of the cards and create a very personal deck at the same time.
The Atis Rezistans proved that they indeed collaborated with Alice when they offered her their art and homes as poignant symbols in the current world deck. Further, Smeets explains, the term “Ghetto” the artists “free themselves of its depreciating undertone and it turns into something beautiful.” She continues to say “this undertaking of the Haitians made me realize that it lies only within us to assign value or judgment towards a tangible or intangible thing, which creates a positive or negative emotion. If we realize that it’s a choice whether we look at destruction and see despair or regard it as the beginning of something new, we can change the meaning of every word, action, and sentiment”.
While I appreciate the effort, I can’t help but think that this project romanticizes poverty. It seems more like a publicity stunt for Smeets than a genuine effort to support Haitian artists. Where’s the real impact?
‘Ghetto Tarot’ sounds like the kind of quirky card game you’d find at a hipster coffee shop! Imagine pulling ‘Despair’ as your daily mantra—what a way to start your day with some existential dread!
“This article had me at ‘Ghetto’. It’s fascinating how Alice Smeets uses tarot as a lens through which to view Haiti’s struggles and triumphs—it’s deep! Can’t wait to see how this evolves into something bigger.”,
“Wow, can’t believe we’re turning tarot into street art now! Next thing you know, we’ll have fortune-telling food trucks! But seriously, it’s great to see artists collaborating across cultures and making meaningful art in challenging environments.”
This post offers an interesting perspective on how traditional art forms can be reinterpreted in modern contexts. The collaboration between Smeets and Haitian artists exemplifies cultural exchange, which can enrich both communities artistically.
I absolutely loved this article! Alice Smeets’ vision to blend Haitian culture with tarot is brilliant. It shows how art can transform and uplift communities. The positive message about redefining ‘Ghetto’ is inspiring. Well done!
‘Ghetto Tarot’? Really? Sounds like a hipster’s dream project gone wrong. I’m all for art, but this feels like an attempt to capitalize on struggles while claiming it’s all about empowerment. Just seems off to me.
‘Ghetto Tarot’ raises some important questions about cultural appropriation versus appreciation. Are we celebrating Haitian culture or exploiting it for aesthetic purposes? It’s crucial to examine the intentions behind such projects before applauding them.