Objects of Migration—Photo-Objects of Art History: Encounters in an Archive

Abstract

The essay focuses on an unsighted archive of migration that preserves numerous discarded objects from undocumented migration into Europe. This "trash" was recovered and stored by the artists Massimo Ricciardo and Thomas Kilpper, for whom the objects signify one of the most urgent societal challenges of our time. In the installation "Objects of Migration-Photo Objects of Art History," Ricciardo introduced some of these objects into the physical space of the Photothek of the Kunsthistorisches Institut in Florenz to engage in a dialog with the photographical documents of this art-historical photo archive. That physical encounter between two completely different archives and objects raised questions about the significance and value of such objects of migration and their archive in regard to cultural memory and temporalities of cultural heritage. ARCHIVES ON THE MOVEWhat connects objects such as scraps of life-jacket fabric, SIM cards, shoe soles, letters or notebooks lost or discarded by undocumented migrants 1 on their perilous journey to Europe, and documentary photographs from a photographic collection of art history? At first glance, it seems they have little in common. The mix of survival materials and very personal belongings evokes the almost daily news in the press about the arrival of new migrants, discussions about border violations and quota allocations, reception camps, and regulatory measures. The photographs, mounted on cardboards and carefully labeled, present works of art and architectural monuments from the canon of Western art historiography and primarily serve art historians as study material for their research.