Selene Wendt. The Sea is History

The Sea is History features work by contemporary artists who address issues of migration and displacement from both a historical and contemporary perspective. The stories and histories extend over a timeframe that begins with the African slave trade and continues until today. If the exhibition were visualized on a map, the works would relate to an expansive sea, the ebb and flow of which is never-ending and cyclical, where the currents move back and forth between countries and continents, through time and history, from past to present. At a time when forced migration is affecting the lives of an everincreasing number of individuals worldwide, the question is how contemporary artists can effectively and sensitively address the topic of migration in ways that contribute to increased awareness, tolerance, and understanding. The participating artists convey complex and nuanced narratives of displacement that are anchored in history.