Takes Me Back
How do Ordinary Material Objects, which are carried along by migrants, become significant
conveyors of memories and past senses?
conveyors of memories and past senses?
A critical reflection of the migrant’s mental space – ‘Takes me back…’ – drives the viewer into a psychological journey. The transition through time, place and identity gradually transforms the value of the possession unfolding past senses and experiences. This shift, which the migrant undertakes, gradually transforms the manifestation of the object they’ve carried along. Each part of the book analyses and portrays such transitions with increasing distance and time.
Portrayed through the impressions & expressions of their keepsakes, the journey is accompanied by whispers from the migrant’s subconscious mind (in the form of words and verses). With the prevailing shift in communities around the globe, these hidden emotions provide an effective juxtaposition to the current debate around the subject.
(The project was a part of my MA Graduation project at London College of Communication, UAL)
Portrayed through the impressions & expressions of their keepsakes, the journey is accompanied by whispers from the migrant’s subconscious mind (in the form of words and verses). With the prevailing shift in communities around the globe, these hidden emotions provide an effective juxtaposition to the current debate around the subject.
(The project was a part of my MA Graduation project at London College of Communication, UAL)
"It isn’t simple, isn’t as smooth.
In flashes,
I see the essence of the past time.
Layer by layer it reveals;
seeps into my conscious mind.
From material to memory;
to perception and its shadow,
I start reliving what’s bygone."
The main imagery of the book came from a technique developed from one of the experiments during my primary visual research. I used reproduction and distortion to test the effect of displacement on an object. Interesting Images were generated using a flatbed scanner. The object was simultaneously made to move horizontally and vertically. The horizontal movement was indicative of the literal dislocation, whereas the vertical distance suggested a movement away from form & function. However, the vertical movement of the object could also be looked at from the point of view of memory, where – with the passage of distance and time – memory comes becomes stronger, while the form of the object vanishes.
The translucent nature of the paper & various transitions and folds incorporated into the book, enables the viewer to engage with it as they slowly reveal a migrant’s concealed emotions. The viewer can partially apprehend what lies ahead. As the journey progresses, the ideas of movement, distance and memory become more pronounced.
The book is wrapped and contained amidst headlines and conjecture that often surround such sensitive issues. Most often emotions are allowed to camouflage in the larger scheme of concerns around the world, where ‘migrating individuals’ form only a small part.
Even though the book was displayed amidst chaos & movement, it retained its solitary essence - inviting the viewer to engage and interact with the concealed stories.
"This mug comes from Ukraine and it was given to me by my daughter.
It reminds me of my country which I had to leave to find work and a home in England."
~Anna Sobolevska
Read more about the project here
