We all came here from somewhere
We all came here from somewhere is a showcase of artwork and objects made in collaboration with the communities we know, we welcome, we work and create with.
We all came here from somewhere is an evolution of the relationships and ways of working which form part of Baltic’s ongoing community activities. Those activities are driven by the question: 'How can we be a good neighbour and support people seeking sanctuary to feel welcome and at home in the North East?'
The exhibition spotlights the warm welcome that is offered by Baltic and by organisations across the North East region. It shines a light on the people, practice and rituals that create a culture of welcome. Officially recognised as a Gallery of Sanctuary since 2022, Baltic embeds a culture of welcome and seeks to promote understanding and celebration of the ways which those people seeking sanctuary enrich our society.
The exhibition has been conceived alongside community partners and collaborators, including a working group of people with lived experience of migration and displacement, and Walking With in North Tyneside, a, thriving community in Wallsend that provides a welcome and support for refugees and asylum seekers.
The exhibition includes a series of newly commissioned portrait photographs by Kuba Ryniewicz, the video work Understanding the UK Asylum System: Myths and Realities, Tracy Affleck’s banner Together with Refugees, work by the North Tyneside Schools of Sanctuary, and videos and prints from Baltic’s Birds, Bees, Bikes and Trees project that invites all to consider a more welcoming world for humans, plants and animals alike.
The exhibition concludes with Asylum: A Long and Painful Process, Sadia Sikandar’s new series of photographic portraits created in collaboration with Walking With’s community group. Sikandar’s portraits - and the stories her subjects tell of the ways in which the asylum process has taken its toll on their lives – provide a harsh reminder to us all that 'welcome' remains a work in progress.
