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:
- Verónica Tello
Counter-Memorial Aesthetics: Refugee Histories and the Politics of Contemporary Art
London & New York: Bloomsbury Academic, 2016
Marquand, BH201.T45 2016
- 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
- Gilles Peress
The Silence
New York: Scalo; New York: D.A.P., 1995
Marquand Photography, DT450.435.P47 1995
- Salgado, Sebastião
The Children: Refugees and Migrants
New York: Aperture, 2000
Marquand Photography, TR681.C5 S2413 2000q
- Fazal Sheikh
The Victor Weeps: Afghanistan
Zurich & New York: Scalo, 1998
Marquand Photography, DS371.2.S53 1998
- 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
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