Summary
Highlights
Migration, defined as people moving with the intention of settling, is a fundamental aspect of human history, evident from early Homo sapiens movements to current record-high levels of global displacement. Reasons for migration are diverse, including voluntary movement, war, persecution, environmental factors, and economic opportunities. This video series examines how art throughout history speaks to this enduring human phenomenon.
Jacob Lawrence's 'Migration Series' comprises sixty tempera paintings depicting the 'Great Migration' of over 6 million African Americans from the rural South to the urban North between the 1910s and 1970s. The series personalizes this vast historical event, illustrating the search for work, security, education, and voting rights, as well as escape from harsh conditions, racism, and lynchings in the South. Lawrence, whose parents were part of this migration, created the series at age 23, working on all panels simultaneously and collaborating with his wife, Gwendolyn Knight, on captions and consistent color schemes. The series concludes with the poignant message that 'the migrants kept coming', a narrative that remains relevant to contemporary experiences of individuals seeking better lives elsewhere.
Evidence for the extensive migration of the Lapita people across the Pacific Ocean 3500 to 4000 years ago is found in fragments of their distinctive terracotta pottery. Archeologists traced their journey from Taiwan around 2000 BCE, reaching the Bismarck Archipelago by 1400 BCE, and then Fiji, Tonga, and Samoa by 850 BCE. Lapita pottery, made from reddish-brown clay and decorated with comb-like stamps and white coral lime, exhibits a consistent design system or 'grammar' that evolved incrementally as they moved. This design system can still be seen in contemporary barkcloth and tattooing, highlighting the enduring cultural legacy of these master navigators.
The Mexica migration story from Aztlán to the Valley of Mexico is chronicled in the 'Tira de la Peregrinación' (Boturini Codex), an accordion-folded fig bark book created between 1530 and 1541. This mytho-historical account details the Mexica's journey, guided by their deity Huitzilopochtli, in search of an eagle on a cactus – the sign to settle. This led to the founding of Tenochtitlan in 1325, which grew into a powerful empire and a sophisticated metropolis. The codex, a rare surviving example of Mexica cultural heritage after the Spanish conquest, provides insight into their history, art, and the iconic eagle and cactus imagery now central to the Mexican flag.
The Akbarnama, a three-volume chronicle of Mughal Emperor Akbar's life, focuses less on human migration and more on the movement of artistic traditions and ideas. Commissioned by Akbar in 1569, this illustrated manuscript was created by a diverse group of artists from Persia and various Indian regions. It resulted in a unique blend of indigenous Indian, Persian, and European styles, fostered by Akbar's patronage and his promotion of cultural tolerance. This artistic collaboration, characterized by an embrace of both traditional and new approaches, created the fresh and cosmopolitan style of Mughal art, emphasizing intellectual and artistic exchange.
Beyond historical examples, contemporary art continues to address migration experiences. Doris Salcedo's 'Shibboleth' at the Tate Modern represented the immigrant experience and societal divisions. Ai Weiwei's 2017 film 'Human Flow' offered a direct view into the global refugee crisis. These artworks, old and new, prompt reflection on historical and current issues surrounding human movement.