Migrancy and Placemaking | Ethiopian Passages: Dialogues in the Diaspora


Julie Mehretu b. 1970, Ethiopia	Elizabeth Habte Wold b. 1963, Ethiopia

The last century was characterized by mass migrations of peoples across the globe. Whether following the flows of global capitalism or fleeing political strife, famine or warfare, individuals were on the move. The collapse of colonialism and the end of the Cold War significantly shaped these migrations and no boundary or state has remained unaffected.

With this movement comes a sense of displacement and loss. It calls into question the stability of identity and definitions of place and home. Julie Mehretu's massive canvases address the fluid and shifting relationship between individuals and community in this age of globalization, while Elizabeth Habte Wold's delicate collages comment on the fragmented nature of life in the diaspora. Kebedech Tekleab's works investigate the human toll resulting from the ideologically driven and interethnic warfare that has forced many into exile this past century.