The Shaking of the Tower House and The Shaking of the Maison des Esclaves in Gorée form the diptych The Shakings: The Meeting of the Atlantic Margins, in which “shaking” performances exorcise two historic buildings, situated on opposite sides of the Atlantic, of its past of colonialism and slavery. Originated from African religions, the practice of “shaking”, a ritual of spiritual cleansing through leaf bouquets, is aimed at keeping away egum from the home environment, dead people that remain among the living and carry all sorts of nuisances and misfortunes. Performed at the Maison des Esclaves, on the island of Gorée, Senegal, which was a main place for boarding slaves to the New World, the performance reflects on the boundary for the loss of humanity and the historical legacy of these violences that still persists. The work was carried out in 2015 as a result of the residency award of the 18th Videobrasil Festival at the Raw Material Company in Dakar, Senegal.
