W H A T D O E S I T T A K E T O M A K E
F E E L L I K E H O M E ?
Barn Quilt is a stunning work of Fidencio Fifield-Perez. The art piece is composed of rather delicate paper cuttings, cut out from used maps collected over time. Although structural aspects of the work evoke the homely, protective comfort of a barn quilt, the shadow that is cast by the paper cuttings creates a border-fencing-like image behind it. The imagery is reminiscent of hostile wired fences and clear physical borders. The artist manages to capture this contrast in a visual retelling of his experience as an immigrant in the US, thus exploring the debate over borders. What struck me is the duality of such a beautiful piece of art, the idea that the same object can both offer protection and signal estrangement. I started thinking about the importance of such objects in my life: my passport, my debit card, my tenancy agreement, my plug adapter. All of these flimsy pieces of paper or plastic hold such significance for my experience outside of my birth country. As I’ve been travelling across borders, a passport, for example, has become a symbol of both familiarity and estrangement.
‘the same object can both offer protection and signal estrangement’ My passport is a way to return to both of my homes. It holds a portrait of myself from a few years back when my dad drove me to the city centre to get my picture taken and then had ice cream with me on a typical summer day. My passport is also what keeps me outside of the UK arrivals line at the airport. It is the oddity that I need to carry with me on my nights out, when my national ID card won’t help me get in. So many objects serve as a reminder of who I am and who I am not, a reminder of what I call home and what home is supposed to be. They capture a subtle feeling of alienation that is hard to explain and even harder to overcome. I’ve been wondering if this makes me a tourist in somebody else’s home, but I wish to reject this hypothesis. The fact that I find myself in a place that I love, with people I’m deeply connected to, in a city that loves me back, is what makes me call the place home. Where there is a strong connection, I believe a passing feeling of estrangement is a reminder that the bond can grow stronger.
G-YOU MAGAZINE// SEPTEMBER 2021// 6
S O M W H E R E
ESTRANGEMENT
