Boston Institute of Contemporary Art
Fish Out of Water
The ICA Boston commissioned Ansell to design an interactive exhibit in their Art Lab, drawing from her work that explores migration patterns and swarms. They asked her to think of the word “journeys”. The piece was to be displayed conjointly with Nari Ward’s exhibition, which addresses migration and assimilation. Immigrants can be displaced and flee like “fish out of water” or migrate methodically like butterflies and birds. Laser cut stencils of hand drawn flying fish were produced and used by visitors to trace, hand color and cut out to be each person’s unique flying fish. On the backs of the fish the participants were asked to write their families’ country of origin. The fish were then pinned on the Art Lab walls in an arrangement based on maps and pathways of current migration patterns of people around the world. Flying above in the Art Lab were gigantic flying fish made from Mylar. Mylar is the material of the meager blankets handed to frightened hypothermic refugees upon arrival after being rescued from the water. A reflection of oneself could be seen in the Mylar while looking up to these flying fish in mid-flight.
Here is a Boston Globe article »
Photos by Maya Rafie
2017
