The “Museum of Diaspora” explores lived experiences and migration narratives, from a range of people and communities in Wales. Mana Baoosh probes the yawning chasm that exists between the perception of the refugee experience, perpetuated by the media, and the more nuanced reality. The “Museum of Diaspora” weaves together diverse elements to evoke the experience of displaced individuals.

As part of the Museum, there is a film with an actor reading from a fictitious creative project proposal about involving refugee artists. Alongside this film a series of stereotypical portraits of refugees in society which have been destroyed by bleach are presented in a vitrine.

The Museum moves on to present a series of samples of Middle Eastern rugs, set in relation to the image of a badly repaired road in Cardiff. Through this uncomfortable juxtaposition the artist reflects upon the arduous process of cultural integration all refugees undertake.  

Then we move to a series of photographs in which the artist documents how individuals who seek asylum in the UK are transported often at night between temporary accommodation, where they might stay for one to two weeks at a time; they have no control over the length of their stay or where their next location will be.  Regular taxis are used as shuttles between these locations. This process of dislocation can repeat itself six to seven times — or even more —depending on the individual’s circumstances. The entire journey to obtain refugee status can be prolonged, spanning from one year to a decade or even longer, depending on the complexities of their stories and the bureaucratic processes involved. Throughout this period, asylum seekers are faced with significant challenges. They are not allowed to work or rent a place to live, depriving them of the opportunity to lead a normal life. Instead, they find themselves in a state of limbo, unsure of when their situation will be resolved and their future secured.

In this series of constructed scenarios, actors, who have themselves experienced this process of enforced dislocation, are invited to relive the experience for the camera. The images are made at night, utilising chiaroscuro to allow the development of a visual language that evokes the discombobulation induced by this enforced dislocation.  

This project seeks to convey the multifaceted odyssey of those who are forced to leave their homes and build new lives amidst uncertainty and instability during a very long-term process.