ROOTS – CARAVAN and Episcopal Migration Ministries partner on artistic exploration of displacement, migration and identity

CARAVAN
Posted Aug 11, 2021

During a time when the crises of displacement and migration, both near and far, are continuously in the news, CARAVAN, an international arts non-profit founded by the Rt. Rev. Paul-Gordon Chandler, Bishop of Wyoming, and Episcopal Migration Ministries, are partnering together on a virtual exhibition titled Roots. Roots is an artistic exploration on displacement, migration and identity featuring the noted Syrian-Swiss contemporary artist Houda Terjuman, who resides in Morocco.

Organized by CARAVAN and curated by Bishop Paul-Gordon Chandler, Roots looks at how those who have been displaced find identity through connection with their land of heritage. Bishop Chandler says, “When one is ‘uprooted’ or displaced, the effects can be long lasting and far-reaching.  The search for a sense of connection with the new place can be successful or remains a disconnected longing for ‘home.’ This journey often includes the challenge of transplanting elements that they bring with them, and incorporating them within the new reality of place and culture.”

As a result of her unique life experience, artist Houda Terjuman interrogates the multi-layered aspects of migration and displacement respectively, and creatively explores what that then means in terms of culture, identity and inclusion. She uses her artistic practice to express the ongoing reality of reconciling her heritage with the contemporary landscape and her place within it.  About her art, Terjuman says:

“I explore identity, migration and exile and the link between our homeland and host country. It is precisely in this fine space between the ideal that a new life can offer mixed with the regret of loss and nostalgia, that I have chosen to situate my practice. I use small familiar objects in my art that weave stories and act as bearers of hope and bridges that link between cultures. A lonely boat is a bearer of hope. An empty chair symbolizes what we left behind and keeps us connected to our roots. Putting an emphasis on the poetic and surreal, I like to artistically tell stories of exile.

CARAVAN, which is affiliated with The Episcopal Church, has joined with Episcopal Migration Ministries (EMM) for the ROOTS exhibition, to raise awareness of the critical needs associated with displacement and migration. Episcopal Migration Ministries welcomes refugees, educates communities, and mobilizes congregations to advocate for the protection and rights of all migrants. For more information on EMM, see: episcopalmigrationministries.org.

Roots runs from August 6 – September 17, 2021, and the viewer can “walk” through a Kuntsmatrix three-dimensional virtual gallery.

To visit the exhibition and for more information on Roots, see: www.oncaravan.org/roots

About CARAVAN:  CARAVAN, an international arts NGO/non-profit affiliated with The Episcopal Church whose motto is “Transformation through the Arts,”, is recognized as a global leader in using the arts to further our global quest for a more harmonious future, both with each other and with the earth.  CARAVAN’s mission is based on the belief that the arts can be one of the most effective mediums to heal our world and to creatively foster peace, harmony, wholeness and health in all its forms.  For more information about CARAVAN, visit: www.oncaravan.org


Tags