Stories Across Borders

Displacement is the product of numerous systems. While most often captured and disseminated at its critical junctures, such as ports of entry, familial separations, or moments of distress, the reality faced by displaced people is often far more abstract, composed of expansive webs of governmental, geopolitical, and legal structures occurring far before, after and unseen from the public eye. 

As issues of displacement are increasingly viewed through the lens of cycle-based media, meaningful concern toward the root causes of these crises and the governmental and social structures which exacerbate and prolong them are often neglected, forcing migrants, asylum seekers, and their allies to develop their own methods of support, visibility, and influence over policy. 

For 15 years, ART WORKS Projects has highlighted stories beyond the datapoints, providing support for those who wish to share their lived experiences and become advocates for change within their own communities around the world. 

This exhibition is a selection of images and research by veteran ART WORKS Projects collaborators, Bassam Khabieh and his project After Syria, Wil Sands, and Rachel Woolf and her project Deported. Their work comes from three different perspectives, highlighting the immense danger asylum seekers face when escaping violence, the uncertainty of life in limbo between nations, and the continued challenges displaced individuals face once they have reached their destination. While the stories captured in these projects highlight vastly different regions and histories, they point to the universal experience of displacement and the profound ability of storytelling to influence global change.