Drift

IMA, Brisbane, Australia, 2004

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“..drift, considers the SIEV X incident of October 2001 that resulted in the loss of 353 lives (including those of 146 children) – all asylum-seeking passengers on board the vessel; one that has merged into all the other SIEV incidents in the Australian public consciousness. The ensuing controversy concentrated on the Howard Government’s controversial decisions to ‘get tough’ on asylum seekers. What was the right course of action, as the human tragedy was unfolding? The official government position shifted the ethical issue to a political one: the refugees became pawns in a debate.” 

 

This installation created a space within a space that was built to the exact dimensions of the bilge of the vessel, into which the women and children had been relegated before the boat samk. Using stark, simple materials, drift was a chilling paean – a silent, fragile and fugitive memorial to the most tragic maritime disaster in Australia’s history. The work received acknowledgement from Jannah The SIEVX Memorial.

 

More info at: https://www.ima.org.au/exhibition/archive/

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