Tales of the Snow Migrant
Claudia Esslinger
Claudia Esslinger, Passages: Tales of the Snow Migrant (installation), 2023. Photo courtesy of the artist
Exploring the connection between migration and a changing climate, the dreamlike narrative of a character navigating a frozen but melting world appears in a projection. A simple kayak is her insufficient transportation. Skeletal boats hang above sandbags that hug the border walls as an animated life preserver floats around the room.
This work combines concerns about the ever-present climate emergency with a focus on the human cost of that devastation. Through it Esslinger hopes we will consider the human migrant driven by climate change with empathy and action.
What can we do to address this increasingly urgent problem?
This project was prompted by two journeys taken by the artist. The first was to southern Chile, where the artist had the opportunity as an artist-in-residence to explore an ecological preserve and also fly over Cape Horn. Esslinger worked in the presence of ecologists and climatologists, who left southern Chile for expeditions to Antarctica. They spoke often about the melting glaciers that were causing water levels around the earth to rise. The other sojourn was a three month stay in Italy. Envisioning the migrant path through southern Italy into Europe was a daily reality, as migrants sold wares on the streets. Stories of deaths during crossings of the Mediterranean were prevalent in the news.
Join us in learning more about climate change and its repercussions.
Performer Balinda Craig-Quijada is Professor of Dance at Kenyon College.
Music is by Charlotte Malin, an independent composer based in Northampton, Massachusetts.
Funding for this exhibition generously provided by the Julia Shoolroy Halloran Endowed Fund.