Europe’s migrant crisis has raised fundamental questions about humanity, politics and war. It has sparked endless debate over whether European countries that open their doors to large numbers of refugees are treacherous or compassionate.
Has the displacement of so many people been exacerbated by Western foreign policy? What role does the European Union have to play both legally and morally? Would its ability to reach a solution to the crisis be hampered by Brexit?
While these questions are debated in the world’s media, arts and cultural organisations, such as the Migration Museum Project in London, are primarily focusing on the human cost of the crisis, which has resulted in the controversial EU-Turkey deal.
Its exhibition Call me by my name: stories from Calais and beyond, which will take place on 2-22 June at the Londonewcastle Project Space in east London, aims to shed light on individual stories.
“We hope that visitors will come away with a heightened sense of empathy for the individuals behind the headlines, an enhanced understanding of the history and evolution of the Calais camp and broader migration developments, and questioning their response and responsibilities towards current refugee and migration developments,” says the curator Sue McAlpine.
To this end the exhibition will feature art and photography from visitors to the camp in Calais and the residents themselves. But sourcing artistic material from people in such difficult and precarious circumstances requires a sensitive and flexible approach.
For instance, artists visiting the camp with the intention of taking pictures found that people were very uncomfortable about being photographed because of their unconfirmed legal status. Some artists, such as Nick Ellwood, whose works are exhibited as part of the exhibition, chose to depict life at the camp through a series of sketches.
Working with migrant artists also needs to be managed carefully because some are worried that participating in the exhibition might jeopardise their application for asylum.
Sourcing objects for the exhibition has also proved challenging. Couriers in Greece were reluctant to ship 150 lifejackets that had been abandoned on the beaches of the Greek island of Kos.
A ruling was introduced to make all items washed up on the beaches of Kos the property of the government as part of efforts to prevent lifejackets and boats being sold on. Although aid worker and artist Sarah Savage had collected the lifejackets before the regulations were enforced, she still struggled to get them transported.
“It was also of course an extremely sensitive mission to get the lifejackets out of the country, considering what they are and what they represent. For a good two weeks I believed the packages to be lost somewhere on route and I couldn’t get through to the Greek courier I’d initially left them with in Kos,” she says. “If felt like a huge victory when they arrived early one morning in the UPS van.”
Money raised from crowdfunding made it possible to collect, store and ship the lifejackets and design The Dignity of Life installation they will from part of.
The lifejackets, many of which are dangerous fakes filled with tissue, newspaper and foam, will be displayed alongside the names, ages and nationalities of those who wore them during the sea crossings to Kos.
The Migration Museum Project’s artist-in-residence Cedoux Kadima will incorporate visitors’ comments and thoughts on what they see into an artwork, which will develop throughout the exhibition.
“Cedoux is going to create an original artwork, weaving the words and comments into a creative map on the wall, which will hopefully evolve as people react to it," explains Matthew Plowright, a spokesman for the Migration Museum Project.
The aim of the exhibition, adds Plowright, is “not to tell people what to think” or express a strong stance about what Europe’s policy on migration should be but is to “encourage reflection and debate".
Mapping is an important theme addressed throughout the exhibition, which will also feature a map of the Calais camp drawn up by an architect.
“Mapping is a functional tool in terms of examining the human and urban geography that has grown up in this temporary and constantly changing place that is always under threat and evolving with its transient population,” says Plowright.
Has the displacement of so many people been exacerbated by Western foreign policy? What role does the European Union have to play both legally and morally? Would its ability to reach a solution to the crisis be hampered by Brexit?
While these questions are debated in the world’s media, arts and cultural organisations, such as the Migration Museum Project in London, are primarily focusing on the human cost of the crisis, which has resulted in the controversial EU-Turkey deal.
Its exhibition Call me by my name: stories from Calais and beyond, which will take place on 2-22 June at the Londonewcastle Project Space in east London, aims to shed light on individual stories.
“We hope that visitors will come away with a heightened sense of empathy for the individuals behind the headlines, an enhanced understanding of the history and evolution of the Calais camp and broader migration developments, and questioning their response and responsibilities towards current refugee and migration developments,” says the curator Sue McAlpine.
To this end the exhibition will feature art and photography from visitors to the camp in Calais and the residents themselves. But sourcing artistic material from people in such difficult and precarious circumstances requires a sensitive and flexible approach.
For instance, artists visiting the camp with the intention of taking pictures found that people were very uncomfortable about being photographed because of their unconfirmed legal status. Some artists, such as Nick Ellwood, whose works are exhibited as part of the exhibition, chose to depict life at the camp through a series of sketches.
Working with migrant artists also needs to be managed carefully because some are worried that participating in the exhibition might jeopardise their application for asylum.
Sourcing objects for the exhibition has also proved challenging. Couriers in Greece were reluctant to ship 150 lifejackets that had been abandoned on the beaches of the Greek island of Kos.
A ruling was introduced to make all items washed up on the beaches of Kos the property of the government as part of efforts to prevent lifejackets and boats being sold on. Although aid worker and artist Sarah Savage had collected the lifejackets before the regulations were enforced, she still struggled to get them transported.
“It was also of course an extremely sensitive mission to get the lifejackets out of the country, considering what they are and what they represent. For a good two weeks I believed the packages to be lost somewhere on route and I couldn’t get through to the Greek courier I’d initially left them with in Kos,” she says. “If felt like a huge victory when they arrived early one morning in the UPS van.”
Money raised from crowdfunding made it possible to collect, store and ship the lifejackets and design The Dignity of Life installation they will from part of.
The lifejackets, many of which are dangerous fakes filled with tissue, newspaper and foam, will be displayed alongside the names, ages and nationalities of those who wore them during the sea crossings to Kos.
The Migration Museum Project’s artist-in-residence Cedoux Kadima will incorporate visitors’ comments and thoughts on what they see into an artwork, which will develop throughout the exhibition.
“Cedoux is going to create an original artwork, weaving the words and comments into a creative map on the wall, which will hopefully evolve as people react to it," explains Matthew Plowright, a spokesman for the Migration Museum Project.
The aim of the exhibition, adds Plowright, is “not to tell people what to think” or express a strong stance about what Europe’s policy on migration should be but is to “encourage reflection and debate".
Mapping is an important theme addressed throughout the exhibition, which will also feature a map of the Calais camp drawn up by an architect.
“Mapping is a functional tool in terms of examining the human and urban geography that has grown up in this temporary and constantly changing place that is always under threat and evolving with its transient population,” says Plowright.