Belongings, a new, free and immersive exhibition from renowned artist Susan Aldworth and its accompanying programme of events, will open in the Arcade, Bush House, on London’s Strand, from 2 October until 8 November 2024. Challenging anti-asylum narratives, Aldworth’s work aims to create a sense of belonging amongst people seeking sanctuary; while challenging others to consider what action they can take to support them to truly feel and know that they belong. Belongings is presented as part of a new free arts and ideas programme, Lost and Found: Stories of sanctuary and belonging, curated by King’s Culture.
Susan Aldworth’s exhibition centres the imagined contents of the suitcase her grandmother, Luigia, brought with her when she was migrating from Northern Italy to London, exactly one hundred years ago in 1924. Luigia was just 23 years old, newly married and carrying a small baby. She was travelling alone. In her small suitcase, alongside basics for her and the baby, was her grandmother’s linen nightdress which had been passed down to each generation. Thirty-five individual antique clothes, including a nightdress that was in the original suitcase, are hand-embroidered with family photographs, stories and recipes. Suspended in mid-air, they highlight the transitory and emotional nature of an uprooted life.
The exhibition seeks to challenge prevailing anti-immigration and anti-asylum narratives by fostering empathy, understanding, and connection between refugees, asylum seekers, and the broader society. BELONGINGS is important and timely considering that globally forced displacement is at a record high.
BELONGINGS highlights the importance of creating inclusive spaces for refugees and migrants to share their stories and contribute to the community. It underscores the cultural, educational, and economic contributions of migrants while advocating for a more welcoming environment. The exhibition also explores how migration stories shape British identity, revealing the need for empathy and meaningful dialogue.
In the UK, despite a rich history of positive migration impacts, policies have made it sometimes difficult for people who are seeking sanctuary to feel that they belong. Increasing experiences of racism and discrimination emphasising that the challenges faced by migrants a century ago—such as stigma, prejudice, and the struggle to belong—remain relevant today. Despite these experiences, migrants and sanctuary seekers greatly contribute to and enrich our communities culturally, educationally, economically, and through their work experiences and skills.
Belongings Event Programme
A creative and thought-provoking events programme for Belongings accompanies the exhibition. It includes Hassan Akkad’s latest film Matar – a film about an asylum seeker confronting the harsh realities of the UK’s broken asylum system; an embroidery workshop where people seeking sanctuary and students can come together to embroider a tent and reflect on the notion of belonging, a public engagement workshop and talks that discuss displacement and belonging from different experiential and disciplinary perspectives. The programme also features a regional launch of the report by the Commission on the Integration of Refugees “From Arrival to Integration: Building communities for refugees and for Britain” which sets out realistic, evidence-based recommendations for a radical integration-focused reform of the immigration and asylum system.
About Belongings
The Belongings programme has been organised by Prof Hanna Kienzler, from King’s Department of Global Health and Social Medicine, in collaboration with Susan Aldworth, Prof Cornelius Katona, Dr Leonie Ansems de Vries, Dr Guntars Ermansons, and A&M Consultancy.
Prof Hanna Kienzler said: “To change the anti-asylum narrative, it is important to create bridges and find common ground through shared dialogue and practices between people seeking sanctuary, the wider community, and other stakeholders. It is only thereby that we can empathise and recognise one another. Our exhibition and activities programme aims to achieve this.”
Ana Asatiani and Mishka Pillay of A&M Consultancy are persons with lived experience of the UK immigration and asylum system. They work to inspire organisations and individuals to make positive changes for migrants, refugees and people seeking asylum. They said of BELONGINGS and why it is so important to them: “It is crucial that people with lived experience are part of decision-making and meaningfully involved in various projects and initiatives. Our skills and experience would be key in addressing systemic issues and finding solutions for the issues that affect us. BELONGINGS is an important and timely exhibition that feels critical right now.”
