TRADE BEADS II (2016)
Materials: Slip-cast porcelain, 81mm mortar tail fins
Based on the original concept for the MorAmmo Beads, this installation is comprised of several large-sized beads made out of glazed porcelain to mimic the classic Murano glass trade beads used widely between the 16th and 20th centuries. This installation is part of a body of work entitled Trade Beads. It is a reflection on the historical significance and use of trade beads as a powerful currency & tool in the slave trade and New World colonization. It draws a parallel with the arms trade in contemporary history as a similar instrumental agent of influence over the political and economic doctrines of today.
© 2016 Constantine Zlatev
