Stateless

Stateless

May 2017 Mini-Exhibit

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) estimates that there are over 65 million displaced people worldwide, 16.1 million of whom are considered refugees under the UNHCR mandate. This display showcases a few pieces of the Marquand collection that offer a window into the experiences of these displaced populations.

The books are arranged in a pseudo-chronological sequence to represent the journey of a refugee. On the left, we see some of the horrible conditions that drive out individuals and families searching for a better life and often fleeing persecution. Their travels, often treacherous in and of themselves, ultimately bring them to a new world where many struggle to settle in the face of countless xenophobic barriers. The final items in this selection (to the right) show how refugees and other migrants may choose to express these struggles, through painting, sculpture, and various other media.

The term stateless generally refers to one’s lack of citizenship status, but here it has added meaning. Experiences from various cultures are mixed to represent the diversity of refugees at large, across time and region. Moreover, the fluidity of the refugee experience is represented only in part by this rough timeline. All too often, refugees attempt to settle in a new country, only to be told they cannot stay and their travel must continue. Even if they finally find a place to rest, their journey to establish a new home may never truly end.

Nick Dreher ‘17
 

On Display:

  1. Verónica Tello
    Counter-Memorial Aesthetics: Refugee Histories and the Politics of Contemporary Art
    London & New York: Bloomsbury Academic, 2016
    Marquand, BH201.T45 2016
     
  2. Sanctuary: Contemporary Art & Human Rights
    Glasgow: Glasgow Museums, 2003
    Exhibition, Gallery of Modern Art, Glasgow, 4/10-9/29, 2003
    Marquand, N8219.L47 S363 2003
     
  3. Gilles Peress
    The Silence
    New York: Scalo; New York: D.A.P., 1995
    Marquand Photography, DT450.435.P47 1995
     
  4. Salgado, Sebastião
    The Children: Refugees and Migrants
    New York: Aperture, 2000
    Marquand Photography, TR681.C5 S2413 2000q
     
  5. Fazal Sheikh
    The Victor Weeps: Afghanistan
    Zurich & New York: Scalo, 1998
    Marquand Photography, DS371.2.S53 1998
     
  6. Zalmaï Ahad
    Eclipse
    New York: Umbrage, 2002
    Traveling exhibition, begun Musée de l’Elysée, Lausanne, 11/28/02-1/26/03
    Marquand Photography, TR820.5.A36 2002

 

Stateless