An interactive exhibition by international artist Menekşe Samanci is being hosted at St Elmo’s, Valletta between today and February 9.

The exhibition, titled Lost in Representation, attempts to shed light on the current refugee crisis and the objectification of migrants, and questions the ways in which migrants are represented, both politically and aesthetically.

The artist proposes to re-imagine ways in which migrants are represented by displaying items synonymous with them.  Samanci’s items, however, are not meant to be looked at, but to be eaten. The ephemerality of the artworks, as well as the performance aspect of the installation, are central to Samanci’s work.

The artist cooks the bread used in her exhibition herself, using an old recipe for Çörek, popular in her Kurdish hometown Diyarbakir.

The artist invites the audience to think about and question the representation of migrants in the media

The bread is formed into the shape of boats and life vests which sink when placed on water. It is also formed into the shape of paper with writings on the refugee crisis preserved in jars of brine, which decomposes as it tries to resist the salted water.

Items such as vessels and life vests are often used in Europe to represent refugees, with the intention of provoking and inspiring compassion.

The artist cooks the bread used in her exhibition herself, using an old recipe for Çörek, popular in her Kurdish hometown Diyarbakir.

However, the use of objects to represent people may also turn out to be problematic, as refugees tend to lose their voices while the objects become empty signifiers. By creating these objects out of food and making them edible, the artist invites the audience to think about and question the representation of migrants in the media.

Since July 2018, Samancı has been an artist in residence in Malta funded by the Artist Protection Fund and the Valletta 2018 Foundation and hosted by Kopin.

The Valletta 2018 Foundation and local human rights NGO Kopin (VO/200) are collaborating on this initiative. Standard Heritage Malta entrance fees apply to St Elmo’s.