Migrant Belonging(s)



Migrants and people of the diaspora face many challenges in their pursuit of belonging due to racism, xenophobia, and other forms of discrimination that pose threats to their livelihoods. More than ever, there is a critical need to challenge the notion that there is a single definition of who belongs to a particular culture, nation, or community.
The installation work, Migrant Belonging(s), exhibited at the Milano Lancetti railway station, stems from my interviews with first- and second-generation immigrants in Milan, Italy. From their stories of migration, I cast replicas of what they and their families had brought with them to Italy from their countries of origin: namely, Albania, Argentina, Brazil, Egypt, Lebanon, the Philippines, the United States, and Vietnam. The bamboo raft mirrors the commuter's voyage on the subway.

Medium: Acrylic and dry pigment on cast paper clay, bamboo, vinyl text, ceramic lampshade, and light
Dimensions: 3.5 ft x 9 ft x 5 ft
Date: 2023

Nicolei Buendia Gupit
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