Today in the UK, the subject of migration is highly politicised.
We’re bombarded with slogans like ‘Stop the Boats’, ‘Island of Strangers’ and ‘Take Back Control’, which reduce migrants to mere numbers and strip them of their humanity. In the process, we lose sight of migrants as mothers and fathers, daughters and sons, sisters and brothers.
What about the lived experience of migrants themselves? This is something we’re actively seeking to address in ‘Crossings’, a new selection of 11 works now on display at the Queen’s House.
‘Crossings’ aims to centre migrant voices, and includes pieces from the existing collection which have never been displayed before as well as three exciting new acquisitions. The display is divided across two rooms: one speaking primarily to the process of maritime migration, and the other to its aftermath.
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Crossing Border by the Kurdish mixed media artist Shorsh Saleh is one of the newly acquired works on display. Learn more about the piece here
As an island nation, most movement in and out of Britain has historically taken place by sea. With its maritime focus, Royal Museums Greenwich is well-placed therefore to facilitate conversations around migration. It is also a subject which touches the lives of many of our visitors, especially in London, where around 40 per cent of the population were born abroad.