Blending In: A Metaphor for Cross-cultural Migrations
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Blending In: A Metaphor for Cross-cultural Migrations presents a playfully performative, yet thought-provoking journey through my migrant experience. The protagonist is an architectural detail from a residential building in Košice, Slovakia. Captured on my recent travels to the city of my childhood, where I lived until my family escaped to Nürnberg, Germany, which became my home until I moved to London, UK.
Upon my return, I removed the life-sized detail from its original context and affixed it to a foam board, while trying to integrate it into London’s cityscape. Drawing from my cross-cultural background as a migrant, this visual metaphor embodies the process of blending in through resourceful adaptations, driven by a longing for a sense of belonging. Moreover, the work also hints at the cross-pollinating qualities of migration that influence and augment our ever-changing cultural identity.
My efforts to continue the project in Nürnberg were thwarted when I attempted to mail the protagonist to my sister before my visit. To my dismay, the parcel was returned to my London address, deemed oversized under new Brexit regulations. Undeterred, I devised a plan to circumvent airline size restrictions by discreetly smuggling the protagonist onboard with me.
Rooted in the personal journey of a migrant, Blending In explores the universal quest for belonging. Additionally, the work alludes to migrations’ enriching facets, contributing to the constantly evolving cultural landscape.
