Annie Long is a visual artist working in multi-media sculpture and oils living in Murwillumbah, NSW, Australia
The current political focus on refugees who are ‘boat people’ sparked an exploration into migratory culture and aesthetics. This led me to my own ancestors’ migration in the colonial era and its resonance in the migration debate of contemporary Australia. This work, a multimedia installation entitled Exodus: Asymmetrical migration focuses on my great grandfather’s forced migration from Ireland 150 years ago due to famine and poverty. It incorporates stones from Thomas Armstrong’s original walls and imagines his journey to Ballina, up Emigrant Creek by boat and then on foot to select land at Coopers Shoot. Favourable colonial policies allowed a young, hardworking migrant to flourish despite the obstacles.
To view the development of the installation go to https://annielong333.wordpress.com/
In the exhibition, the Contact/All is Fantasy, the installation was reconfigured to suit the space. As part of a Creative Village project, presenter Augustus Firestone interviews the artist about the work. https://vimeo.com/133334226