The proposed exhibition for the Jewish Museum of Venice during the 2024 Biennale delves into the intricate relationship between migration and three closely intertwined themes: social identity, cultural memory, and ghettoization.
In the era of global mobility, social identities are in perpetual flux due to migration experiences. The influx of migrants prompts profound questions about belonging and identity. However, identity is not merely an inherited, ascribed, or achieved status; rather, it is an ongoing process that is continually shaped, adjusted, and sustained as individuals integrate into a community of strangers. Consequently, the formation and reformation of identities become integral to the efforts of migrant communities seeking to establish a sense of belonging in a new cultural milieu. Within this dynamic process of cultural adaptation and identity formation, memory in its various forms—physical, psychological, familial, and cultural—plays a pivotal role.
Displaced from a distant point of origin, memories in the context of migration, relocations, and diasporas are constantly negotiated. They serve as a means to bear the hardships of transplantation to a new cultural space and foster communal bonds among those collectively recollecting their shared experiences. In urban settings, however, the migration of ethnic or religious communities often leads to spatial and social confinement. This may result from discriminatory practices, self-imposed segregation, or public policies aimed at maintaining social hierarchy and control over marginalized groups. Consequently, migrant groups find themselves ‘ghettoized,’ either by the host society or through a self-imposed process in the area to which they have migrated. This act may serve as a means of cultural preservation or as a strategy for navigating the challenges of starting anew in an unfamiliar place.
The selected works explore the complexities of migration by highlighting the interconnectedness between the transformation of social identities, the preservation of cultural memory, and the experience of ghettoization in urban landscapes. Laure Prouvost’s video work, “No More Front Tears”, poetically explores migration by questioning borders, immigration, and shared experiences across species, offering an overarching view on the theme of migration and inclusion. Jonathan Prince’s evolving sculpture, “Fissure”, delves into the experience of migration and explores the notion of separation, trauma and identity construction, highlighting the complexities of migration and the transformation of identity that occurs with assimilation into new cultures. Lihi Turjeman’s paintings and bronze plaque serve as metaphors for the barriers and boundaries encountered during migration, drawing parallels between the historical Florentine Jewish Ghetto and contemporary ghettoized communities. Erwin Wurm’s wire frame interpretation of ‘Narrow House’ evokes the hardships of navigating confined environments—a poignant exploration of migration’s impact on identity and belonging. Elisheva Revah’s multimedia project, “Hallah,” delves into the symbolism of the Jewish traditional bread, connecting it to migration, femininity, and the concept of home within the diaspora, exploring the legacy and resilience of cultural memory. Morten’s artwork explores the intimate connection between migration, heritage and memory, highlighting the enduring threads of cultural identity in the transformative journey of migration. Flora Temnouche’s paintings reflect on the fragility of identity and the difficulty of reassembling a notion that has been disassembled by migration. William Kentrdige’s “Breathe, Dissolve, Return” explores the transformative nature of displacement and adaptation by deconstructing and reconfiguring images using three-dimensional objects.
The selected works focus not so much about the artist’s identities but that the works speak to the theme of identity and migration in more poetic and metaphoric terms making it suitable for a broader audience.
Through this wide range of works, the exhibition encourages viewers to reflect on the shared human experience of migration, fostering dialogue on resilience, identity, collective memory, and the universal nature of the human journey.
