‘Art-world passport office’ at 1-54 fair in New York seeks to highlight migration issues

Citizens of the art world can purchase an “Art World Passport” at 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair this week (until 4 May), a physical booklet that will “metaphorically” allow them to move through the international circuit of fairs, exhibitions and biennials in a commentary on migration and diversity in art.

The cultural platform artHARARE, based in the capital of Zimbabwe, launched the passport at its stand, which is showcasing an exhibition with photographs by six Zimbabwean artists: Wonai Haruperi, Kudakwashe Chakwanda, Nothando Chiwanga, Lennox Makurumidze, Martina Gruber and Tinotenda Chimuka. “We thought an interesting way of showcasing the work is to present the photographs in our passports, as the portrait at the back,” says Richard Mudariki, the owner and founder of artHARARE. “But the narrative goes beyond just photography and Zimbabwe, and becomes issues around the movement of products, artwork and artists themselves.”

Art can be easier to transport from Zimbabwe to New York or London for fairs than the artists who created the work, Mudariki says. In fact, he says, one artist whose work is featured on the stand was meant to attend 1-54 but was unable to do so due to visa issues.

“If you have a certain passport from a different country, it can give you more privileges. We’ve heard those narratives in conversation this week,” he says. “It comes back to the idea of identity and portraiture, to migration and challenges in the world as it is operating now, as there’s a lot of political rhetoric regarding migration already happening, especially here in the States.”

As of Thursday afternoon, around 20 people had purchased passports, Mudariki says, including 1-54 founder and director Touria El Glaoui. The plan is for holders to be able to use their new passports to access experiences with artHARARE in Zimbabwe and Cape Town in South Africa, like studio visits and artist talks, and one day hopefully with partners elsewhere. The blank pages can also be used for taking notes or collecting stamps or stickers. Mudariki says one new holder told him she was going to use her passport to collect autographs of her favourite artists.