By Maryna Sulym (pictured, above)
Since moving from Ukraine to the UK, I have been interested in migrant identity. In 2020 I started a project that portrays the human side of immigration through portraits and personal stories. This is how Local Foreigners was created: an online gallery where more than 60 people share their experience of migration. Last year, I received an Arts Council grant that allowed me to travel from London to Scotland to interview people there. The project was warmly welcomed in Edinburgh, and instead of the planned three interviews, I met 12 people who were happy to share their stories. The Museum of Edinburgh created an exhibition about them, which opened in March 2023. The exhibition displays stories of people who moved to Edinburgh from various countries like Ukraine, India, Brazil, Slovakia, USA, etc. Every story is complex and unique, but at the same time relatable for many visitors. The museum exhibits items that remind the participants of their home, and the stories connected to the objects.
Portrait of Naina Minhas, an Indian woman who moved to Edinburgh decades ago and is now a manager at the ethnic minority women’s group
After many months of delay, I was finally able to see the exhibition in person, thanks to the help of Counterpoints Arts. When I entered into the room, I was amazed by its neat and welcoming appearance.
Visitors at the Local Foreigners exhibition in the Museum of Edinburgh
The exhibition is located in an old 16th-century building of the Museum of Edinburgh, in a room that is an exhibit itself. The old wooden panels create a cozy atmosphere of a living space, providing a space for a fireplace under a large panel describing the exhibition. The creaking floor panels provide a necessary connection of the participants’ stories with the history of a city that has always been bustling with newcomers. The cases highlight the objects that the project participants and museum staff loaned to the exhibition: a transparent haze of a pink sari, a colourful book about Lviv, a mate cup, a clock, and even a toothbrush that one of the participants brought from their home country. The objects share a piece of their owner’s identity, at the same time posing viewers a question: What would you pick for your own story? What constitutes a home for you?
Viviana Longo with the moka that she loaned to the museum for the exhibition, and her portrait in the background.
Above the objects, one can see the portraits and stories of people who chose Edinburgh to be their home. In the portraits that I created with the feedback of the participants, I want to show immigrants as people of power and influence, as important members of our society. Every person chooses the location for their portraits, and it is always somewhere meaningful to them.
A visitor reads the story of Yustyna Piddubna, who moved from Ukraine to Edinburgh with her two children after Russian invasion in 2022
As I stand, taking everything in, many people pass by. They peek in for a second, and stay reading the stories, taking pictures of the objects, leaving positive reviews in the guest book, even writing messages on the website. “I felt drawn to it, like – “that’s me,” wrote Laura, an Italian woman living in Edinburgh. “I felt represented,” writes Karolina, who found her story to be very similar to one on the display. “All museums should have a room like this,” writes Magda, another visitor.
A visitor leaves a note in the guest book
Many visitors shared their own stories of migration
I learned a lot from each of the participants, and I hope that this exhibition will provide an opportunity for other people to learn from them too. The stories reflect the diversity of migration experiences. Moving countries is always an emotional journey, where every person goes through excitement, grief, confusion, happiness, fear, contentment, and search for their new home. It is different for everyone, but it is never easy. I am thankful to those who were willing to share their journeys, and to those who recognised these narratives as a part of local history. I hope that in the future people will own and carry the term ‘immigrant’ with dignity and pride. And I am happy that with this exhibition, we have just come a step closer to this future.
The exhibition is open and free to visit until 10th of September, so make sure to drop by if you are in Edinburgh for the Fringe.
See details here: https://www.edinburghmuseums.org.uk/whats-on/local-foreigners-human-face-immigration
Read Local Foreigners stories at the website: https://localforeigners.org/
Follow Local Foreigners social media:
https://www.facebook.com/localforeigners.org/
https://www.instagram.com/localforeignersorg/
