Angélique 1734. Guy Giard, 2004.

Marie-Joseph Angélique

This photo installation offers an opportunity to reflect on a little-known truth in the history of Montréal: the presence of African and Native slaves during the 17^th and 18^th centuries. Who were they, where did they come from, what became of them? Little documented information is available on the subject. However, the name of a slave appears in the court transcripts of a major trial: Marie-Joseph Angélique, a young slave woman condemned to be executed in the public square on June 21, 1734. Her story is at the centre of a project by Guy Giard that invites the public to reflect on what daily life must have been like for her and so many others during that period.