Refugee

Background: This output contributes to contemporary art dialogue through print informed research. Since the early 20th century artists have explored the use of everyday objects and the multiple. Artists such as Marcel Duchamp and Joseph Beuys used mass produced items rebranded into art objects. ‘Refugee’ references this community of practice adding to knowledge by way of re-imagined identities and stereotypes using the materiality of mirror. Contribution: ‘Refugee’ presented multiple 2 meter high acrylic mirror strips in the form of a barcode to highlight ongoing state sanctioned discrimination of refugees from various governments here and around the world. Public debate from newspapers, magazines, websites and other media outlets are referenced, reconstructed and re-dispersed into the fine art print form of multiples and citations. This artwork seeks to capture the viewer in the tragedy of fleeing ones homeland and seeking asylum in another by pondering their own reflection. Significance: Refugee was first presented at Otago Polytechnic Art Gallery, NZ in the group exhibition ‘on-AIR’ 2015. It was then reconfigured for the group exhibition Print Lab Welcomes the News Network II, at Forrester Gallery, North Otago Museum in 2018. These exhibitions were curated by Otago Polytechnic Print Lab Coordinator Neil Emmerson in 2015 and in collaboration with Jane Macknight (Director, Forrester Galler)y in 2018. Visitor numbers totalled 1214, plus a DSA student visit of 15. Otago Daily Times featured the 2015 exhibition presentation with an article 'Art that’s fit to print-news to most people' in print and online.