From Eden To New Zealand And Beyond The Continuing Story Of Migration Is Told In A Modern Exhibition

Comics and cartoons are probably the most universally accessible forms of media. The entertaining format aligned with wholesome or exciting messages can give us a lot of enjoyment. We all know that we learn things from what we watch or enjoy, plenty of cartoons have given us an ear for classical music which, in most other settings, might have made us go somewhere else. We know that if we have a rewarding experience, the peripheral information can become part of the pleasure rather than a chore. So, telling important stories through this medium is a fitting way to use it. We might finally find a way that gets people to listen to each other. 
 
Genetic and linguistic evidence all points towards human beings originating in the African bush. At the time it is thought we evolved, the area that is now the Sahara Desert was a lush temperate region. It is likely that the earliest humans came from there and then fanned out across the continent, at first preferring woodland and jungle but eventually learning to colonise wildernesses too. This means that we are all related to someone who once migrated. Perhaps it was thousands of years ago, when a particular band made it to a new part of the world. Perhaps it was more recently. These days it’s common to see a range of ethnic origins mingling together, especially in cities. People from all over the world come to work, live, and take holidays in all the big locations.  
 
The world has always been connected, with trade routes and religious pilgrimages meaning people would travel from their home to faraway places. Some might have stayed; some might have returned home. Many likely died somewhere on the way, leaving their legacy where they dropped it. It might have taken months to do what takes a day or two in 2025, but people have always mixed. Considering the number of Japanese words that sound a little like European words when spoken aloud and yet have no linguistic relationship at all can only point to the idea that people have been travelling far and wide for centuries.  
 
The University of London is currently holding an exhibition that showcases a host of animated and comic-book art about migration. It’s free to enter and is running into the Spring. Marking twelve years of PositiveNegatives, the non-profit based at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), The Stories of Migration exhibition puts the years of hard work into something relatable and communal. Hand in hand with Mideq, a migration research thinktank, PositiveNegatives have collaborated and collated a list of stories and themes from international migrants including Yemeni, Philippine, Iraqi perspectives. The main event, the animated Story of Migration, is a film dedicated to telling the range of networking stories that enrich our perspective on this universal phenomenon. 
 
Along with 15 animations and comics, the seven-minute video culminates a long effort of investigation, listening, and appreciative documentation. We know that this work is never finished, however as each generation represents its own time, condensing the information into something publicly accessible is always a valiant endeavour. We can all go and find out what the stories have to say, rather than relying on Western reporters to outlay their own narrative, we can go to the source and drink the natural water.   
 
Open until 22nd of March, The Stories of Migration exhibition at the SOAS Gallery, London, is free to ​enter.

Via The Guardian