Author: Sofia Zur

Can the role of architecture be redefined in the era of mass migration? (2019)

In November 2019, voices from the spheres of architecture, design, political science, cybernetics, sociology, urbanism, and curatorial practice assembled in Riga. Standing alongside a delegation of over four hundred from, and fresh to, the Latvian capital, Architecture of Migration—the first international conference of its kind—sought to open a fissure within which architecture in its broadest …

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How Migration Will Define the Future of Urbanism and Architecture (2016)

This defiant attitude was how Martin Barry, Chairman of reSITE, opened their 2016 Conference in Prague three weeks ago. Entitled “Cities in Migration,” the conference took place against a background of an almost uncountable number of challenging political issues related to migration. In Europe, the unfolding Syrian refugee crisis has strained both political and race …

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Maggi Hambling (2016)

Entitled 2016, the year it was made, this painting depicts a golden boat sinking below the surface of the ocean. The composition’s central subject is a chaotic tumble of black, white, gold and flesh-toned colours, suggesting the boat’s inhabitants are spilling over its edges into the water. To create the effect of submersion, the artist …

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Anti-immigration and racist discourse in social media (2019)

This article assesses the strategies of anti-immigration actors on social media and the discursive construction of immigrants and refugees in user interaction on Facebook. It emphasizes the particular role of emotions in racist discourse and analyses how an open Facebook group generates and circulates anti-immigration and racist sentiments to a large audience. By analysing the …

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Report: Social media playing a role in fueling migration crisis on border (2021)

(NewsNation Now) — A new report claims social media platforms such as Facebook are encouraging illegal migrant smuggling and promoting hatred toward migrants, further turning up the heat on the social media giant in the wake of a company whistleblower coming forward this week. The report, from Border Report, a Nexstar website that reports on issues …

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‘Unchecked’ social media platforms fueling migration crisis on border, industry experts say (2021)

Human trafficking routes, modes of transit, prices, and even discounts freely promoted on Facebook sites, report finds. McALLEN, Texas (Border Report) — Misinformation and disinformation on social media platforms, like Facebook, encourage illegal migration to the United States as well as promote and illicit hatred toward migrants, cybersecurity and migration experts who are calling on …

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Homeland Security to collect social media usernames on immigration and visitor applications (2019)

Washington CNN —   The Department of Homeland Security plans to begin requesting social media information on applications for immigration benefits and foreign travel to the US, an expansion of data collection already taking place. Some foreign travelers to the US, as well as applicants for immigration benefits, will be asked to list their social …

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How does social media affect our understanding of migrants and refugees? (2021)

Social media has become integrated into our everyday lives as a site for friendships, entertainment, business, politics, and activism. Today, at least one in three people globally is on a social media platform. This has practical implications for migrants and refugees, offering empowering opportunities for representation but also surveillance concerns. In addition, this shift has …

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Crossing Lines, Constructing Home: Displacement and Belonging in Contemporary Art | Harvard Art Museums (2020)

What does it mean to be displaced from culture and home? What are the historical contexts for understanding our contemporary moment? How does an artist’s work and process embody and engage the narratives of displacement and belonging? Crossing Lines, Constructing Home investigates two parallel ideas: national, political, and cultural conceptions of boundaries and borders; and …

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Departures (2022)

Migration Museum Lewisham Shopping Centre London SE13 7HB Until 13 February 2022 Wednesday–Sunday, 11am–5.30pm (5pm close on Sunday) Admission: Free – advance booking not required Departures is an immersive exhibition at the Migration Museum in London exploring 400 years of emigration from Britain from the Mayflower to the present day through personal narratives, contemporary art and …

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Tell Us Your Immigration Story (February 09, 2018 – June 03, 2018)

This interactive exhibition, organized in conjunction with Emigration–Immigration–Migration, will grow over time, highlighting YOUR stories through writing, audio and photographs. In addition, we will feature Immigration Journeys: Old and New, a series of videos sponsored by the Allegheny County Library Association and produced at the Whitehall Public Library, in which long-term residents and newly arrived …

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The story behind the girl in the recording who begs for her aunt after being separated from her migrant mother (2018)

The 6-year-old girl who was pleading with Border Patrol officials for her mother, begging for her aunt — on the excruciating audio published by ProPublica that helped galvanize opposition to family separations — had set out just weeks before from this village in the rolling foothills of western El Salvador, leaving behind her grandmother and …

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They made the long, rough journey to cross the U.S. border alone. Here are their faces and voices. (2015)

“Unaccompanied” is an audio-visual story of young immigrants in the Washington, D.C. area who were among the thousands of children seeking refuge from the violence of Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala created by photographer Oliver Contreras and CARECEN, the Central American Resource Center. Following President Obama’s statement about a humanitarian crisis on the border in …

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Where We Come From (2021)

How many times in your life have you been asked, “Where are you from?” If you’re a person of color living in the United States, odds are that your answer is complex — it’s not just about a place on a map, but also family, history, traditions, work, and how you express yourself. Read More…

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Limbo (2020)

A gently emotional story about a group of asylum seekers awaiting for their results on a fictional remote Scottish island. Among them is Omar, a young Syrian musician burdened by the weight of his grandfather’s oud, which he has carried all the way from his homeland. By Director Ben Shamrock, it received many accolades, including …

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Manus (2019)

This very poetic film offers an unedited insight into the hundreds of refugees and asylum seekers captivated offshore by the Australian Federal Government on Manus Island. Thanks to the starkness of its black and white shots, this multi-award-winning documentary focuses very intimately on the people, so that we can hear their stories directly.

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Exodus (2016) & Exodus: The Journey Continues (2017)

In Exodus, FRONTLINE told the epic, first-hand stories of refugees and migrants fleeing countries including Syria, Afghanistan and The Gambia, who made dangerous journeys across 26 countries in search of safety and a better life. The initial two-hour special relied on camera and smartphone footage filmed by refugees and migrants themselves — from inside a …

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The Good Postman (2016)

Directed by  Tonislav Hristov, this film follows Ivan, the local postman in a quiet Bulgarian community on the Turkish border, as he decides to run for mayor. He then campaigns to bring the aging village to life by welcoming refugees. Some in the community support Ivan, while others resist his campaign. The film highlights the …

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