In Greek mythology, Calliope is the muse of epic poetry and eloquence. It is also the name of the Kalliope antique music box, created around 1900. This particular music box plays the sound of a voodoo ritual that a group of musicians from Ghana— convened by Minerva Cuevas—performed in 2004 against members of the United States Government, specifically the administration of then President George W. Bush. The work revaluates the subversive nature of voodoo, a religion that was repressed for having represented a danger to the colonizers of countries like Haiti.
Installation view, Van Abbemuseum, Eindhoven, Netherlands, 2008