The Migrant
The Migrant
Working as Heritage Architects with the people of West Bank, Widnes, M+R created a series of 'core samples' which represent personal stories. A core sample is a plug of earth which is drilled from the ground to examine layers of history. In the case of West Bank the ground was historically contaminated by layers of industrial waste. Working conditions in the factories were extremely poor and so it is interesting to consider why people would migrate to this area. The artists have used this movement of people, which includes migration from Eastern Europe and Ireland, as a means of exploring local family history. The core samples are abstract timelines. The artwork is created via the sand casting process used widely in the foundries which were one of the main stays of Widnes industry. Normally the sand mould is discarded to reveal the cast object within, but in this case the sand itself becomes the final artwork. Index cards detail the stories of the sand castings.