All over the world, people move across borders for all kinds of reasons. In the 21st century, more people than ever migrate for all kinds of political, economic and environmental reasons. At the same time, travelling is increasingly difficult for a great many people. How difficult or easy it is, is often determined by your passport. Which countries welcome you and which do not? And when you are in another country, when do you feel at home? In the exhibition Between borders, artists, designers, and Arnhemmers share their answers to those questions. The exhibition will run from June 3 to October 22, 2023. 

Heba Y. Amin’s The Earth is an Imperfect Ellipsoid utilizes Al-Bakri’s Kitab al-Masalik wal-Mamalik (The Book of Roads and Kingdoms), an eleventh-century Arabic geography text describing major trade routes in West Africa under the Islamic Empire and overlays it with the contemporary migration routes traveled by migrants from Africa to Europe. In 2014, Heba Y. Amin embarked on a five-month journey along the same routes – which required 12 visas to be acquired before traveling. The project looks at the historical paradigms of technology and urban development connected to contemporary migratory paths. 

For more information. 

Image: Heba Y Amin, The Earth is an Imperfect Ellipsoid, 2016, Mixed Media: Photography, Text, Video. In courtesy of MuseumArnhem. © Eva Broekema