Migrations

Hickey, Tobias (2021) Migrations. University of Worcester.

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Abstract

Migrations is a curatorial art project which aimed to facilitate the communication of an alternative to negative media bias around migrants and the concept and practice of migration (during the crisis 2015-present) through inclusive illustration practice. The project was crowdsourced from an international community of illustrators and artists (both professional and amateur) who were asked to interpret the words ‘migrant’ and ‘migration’ and to visually communicate their interpretations through bespoke postcard artworks.

The postcard was selected as the format for the project because it is a profoundly inclusive and itinerant object: it is cheap and easy to obtain and to send, thus maximizing participation. A postcard is also symbolic of travel and movement, from the stamps that reflect its origins, to the marks, wear and damage picked up during its journey, to the borders and bureaucracies that might hinder its passage. On the back of each postcard the artists provided context for their work, which took the form of a personal account of migration, a meaningful quote, or a positive comment that challenged negative views of migrants. The postcard collection was exhibited in such a way that gave access to both sides of the artifact and allowed an accessible, immersive experience.

Migrations resulted in exhibitions and intergenerational creative workshops in Europe, Africa and Asia, receiving thousands of visitors. A selection of 50 postcards were used to create a book Migrations: Open Hearts, Open Borders, published by Otter-Barry Books (2019), in collaboration with Amnesty International. Proceeds from the book are donated to Amnesty International and IBBY’s (International Board on Books for Young Children) Lebanon Appeal to provide books and rebuild libraries in Beirut following the catastrophic explosion in August 2020. Illustrators in the book include Shaun Tan, Maya Stanic, Mohammad Barrangi, Petr Horacek, Axel Scheffler, Jane Ray, Isol, and Roger Mello.
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