The Ghetto Tarot Project

The Ghetto Tarot is a photographic interpretation of the traditional tarot deck in the ghetto. The scenes are inspired by the Rider Waite Tarot deck (originally designed in 1909 by artist Pamela Colman Smith) and are replicated together with award-winning documentary photographer Alice Smeets and a group of Haitian artists called Atis Rezistans (Resistant Artists) in the Haitian slums using only material found or created locally. On several cards the artist's art was used, that includes symbolism from the Vodou religion to embody the important meaning of the cards original symbols.

The name of the Ghetto Tarot is inspired by the "Ghetto Biennale", which is an invitation by Atis Rezistans to visiting Western and non-Western artists to come to Haiti and create art in collaboration with them to produce a show at the end. Atis Rezistans use trash to create art with their own visions that are a reflection of the beauty they see hidden within the waste.