This thesis reflects on historical and contemporary issues around representational practices and visual politics of creating and displaying refugee subject matter in art. This paper aims to open up...Show moreThis thesis reflects on historical and contemporary issues around representational practices and visual politics of creating and displaying refugee subject matter in art. This paper aims to open up broader discussions about cultural institutions and artists’ responsibilities in producing counter-narratives that service refugees’ perspectives and voices. By doing so, museums and relevant artists can avoid perpetuating existing tropes and ensure that their own agendas are secondary to what the subject of their work (in this case, refugee and asylum seekers) wishes to convey. By means of concrete examples of artists and artwork, the author attempts to bring forth a discussion on the ethical considerations for artists involved in collaborative projects with refugees and asylum seekers by questioning and challenging various frameworks and existing modes of representation within contemporary art discourse. The author proposes different modes of representation that service the ‘protagonist’s’ story first, referring to concepts and practices through which to understand the construction of visual narratives surrounding refugees; thus establishing how these practices can be effective beyond simply making things visible.Show less
