Field Research
2020
Objective:
The primary objective of the project is to investigate how migrants in London construct a sense of belonging within their personal spaces, navigating the delicate balance between their current environment and the longing for a different place. The study aims to analyze the concept of homemaking as a dynamic practice involving the creation of a space to "belong" and the significant role played by material objects in this process.
Methodology:
The project employs a combination of field recordings, photographs, and personal testimonies to comprehensively examine the material and immaterial dimensions of "home." Field recordings and photographs capture the physical elements – objects, rooms, and houses – while personal testimonies provide insight into the immaterial aspects, such as stages of life, relationships, and memory. The research methodology involves visiting migrants' bedrooms, conducting interviews, and documenting their personal narratives.
The final work consisting of a sound recording, visual work and a critical essay, was exhibited as part of my research master thesis on the importance of material culture in the homemaking practices of migrants, at Goldsmiths University of London in 2020.
Somewhere in Between" presents an innovative and interdisciplinary approach to studying the nuanced dynamics of migrant homemaking. Through a combination of visual, auditory, and written elements, the project endeavors to contribute meaningfully to academic discussions while promoting empathy and understanding regarding the diverse experiences of migrants in their pursuit of a place to call home.
“When I moved to London back in 2011, I brought with me a silver ladle that had lived in my kitchen in my house in Athens. This ladle was given to me by my mother when I first left my family home for my own place along with other kitchenware and utility objects: cutlery, duvets, pans etc. The ladle belonged to and was used by my mother in her own home for thirty-five years, because it was part of a kitchenware set she received as a present on her wedding day, before it was passed on to me. When I packed it with the rest of my belongings from my maternal home, it was not as a symbolic gesture in relation to me moving out, but merely because it was something I was used to having around and I thought it would be useful in my new place. My mother did not see the symbolism in it either: she wanted me to take it with me not as a gift but because she had several others, and I could get use out of it. The ladle's origin, tracing back to her wedding, I discovered accidentally sometime later.
A few years ago, while I was preparing to move again, this time at a different house in London, as I was sorting through my things with the help of a friend, my eye caught the handle of the ladle sticking out from the 'donation' box in which my friend had placed it. When asking her why she thought it should be donated instead of me taking it with me, her response was pragmatic. She felt it was unnecessary to carry it when I could so easily order another one online now through my phone, along with other kitchenware, to arrive at my new place as soon as I got there. She was obviously right: the ladle was easily replaceable, with no significant cost. But, I still did not feel like giving it away and replacing it with a new one, so I did end up taking it with me.
11 years and more than eight houses later, the ladle is still with me.”