The SIM Project workshops give tangible meaning to people’s virtual networks and explore how the images we create and exchange through our smartphones map our place in the world.

People who have experience of displacement and those working to support refugees and asylum seekers in the South West of England will be invited to workshops at Martin Parr Foundation and Royal Photographic Society in Bristol. In a process that combines analogue and digital photography with jewellery making and origami, participants will create unique SIM-scale artefacts to keep, wear and to be added to the project collection.

The personal artefacts made as part of Platforma will be exhibited in Houston, Texas in 2024. They will be shown alongside SIM artefacts made by over 170 participants from countries including Afghanistan, Syria, Turkey, Venezuela, Hong Kong, Senegal and Libya at previous workshops held in 7 countries across Europe.

The project is led by artist and anthropologist Liz Hingley, with the support of Jeweller Sofie Boons and Frank Menger of the Centre for Print Research at the University of West England. Initially inspired by collaboration with Syrians on a UK resettlement programme in 2017, the project was recently supported by Liz’s residency within the Department of Digital Humanities at Kings College London (2020-23) and is sponsored by 4JET: innovations in glass, Just Castings and Beyond Print.

Martin Parr Foundation will generously host the workshops and an accompanying pubic symposium on the 18th October bringing together artists whose works relates to themes of migration, displacement and belonging.

Part of the Platforma festival 2023, produced by Counterpoints Arts and partners across the South West of England.