MIGRATION TRIPTYCHS

We live in a world of people on the move. With the increasing offer of opportunities in different regions and the globalisation of skills, international migration becomes an opportunity for many individuals to fulfil their life goals, realise professional aspirations, get acquainted with different cultures and gain exposure to a wider variety of experiences. Yet, not everyone moves out of their place of birth willingly. An alarming number of individuals and families are forced to flee their countries due to threaten posed by factors ranging from economic hardship and natural catastrophes, to ethnic conflicts, political persecution and war. As a consequence, people displacement and asylum seeking represents one of the greatest contemporary global challenges.

Migration Triptychs aimed at capturing those three stages of rebirth by telling the stories of residents from the Liverpool City Council who came to Australia seeking asylum from conflicts in Iraq. The stories are captured as “digital triptychs”: digital animations with graphics, audio and written words, played on three sections: (a) life before coming to Australia, on the left-hand side partition; (b) the journey between lands, at the centre; and (c) life in Australia, on the right-hand side partition.

The design of the triptychs followed a consultation process by Dr Luke Hespanhol with members of the community, supported by the Western Sydney Migrant Resource Centre (WSMRC) and part of an arts residency with the Liverpool City Council from June to September 2018. The entire content of each triptych was developed in collaboration with the participants themselves. The resulting animations were originally played at the urban screen at Macquarie Mall, Liverpool, during November 2018, highlighting the nature of Western Sydney as cultural crossroads and welcoming place for people of all walks of life.