marble-carved inflatables by alex seton memorialize asylum seekers

marble-carved inflatables by alex seton memorialize asylum seekers
‘durable solutions I’ 2014
wombeyan marble, polyester rope, spigots
145 x 90 x 15 cm
images courtesy of sullivan+strumpf / photos by mark pokorny

alex seton: refoulement
sullivan+strumpf, sydney
16 september through 11 october 2014

born from an innate interest in notions of the outsider, privilege, displacement and identity, sydney-based artist alex seton has reimagined these themes through his creative practice and mastery of marble as medium. sullivan+strumpf presents an exhibition of seton’s most recent sculptures, based off the monumental adelaide biennial series ‘someone died trying to have a life like mine‘. this first exploration has seen 28 painstakingly rendered marble life jackets, carved to represent those that washed ashore the cocos islands last year, likely from a sunken boat carrying asylum seekers. ‘refoulement’ marks a further investigation on the ideas of human movement, featuring a series of related sculptures and installations.

alex seton: refoulement
video courtesy of sullivan + strumpf

the exhibited marble works include a life-sized inflatable raft, carefully crafted from a cold-hued stone. deflated and reduced to its sunken shell, the piece stands as a memorial of the hopes and dreams of asylum seekers that have been turned away at sea; an installation comprising a palm tree island is situated at center of the gallery. the blow-up party props are rendered in a warm, sunset-toned marble and acts symbol not only of the tropical paradise imagined by these individuals, but conversely of their isolation from it; three life-jackets from the ‘someone died trying to have a life like mine’ series become a tragic reminder of the ways in which their function of assistance has failed those under their protection. the formal bust of the jackets prompts a physical reaction, as the viewer is able to imagine the weight of the stone on their shoulders; an icy oar made from pure white carrara marble is set alone against the gallery wall, a silent memorial in both materiality and metaphor.

‘durable solutions I’ (detail)

non-refoulement is the international legal principle that protects asylum seekers and refugees from being sent to any place where they have a well-founded fear persecution, or where they face a real risk of other serious human rights abuses. it lies at the heart of the international regime to protect people from harm in their own countries. the principle of non-refoulement is not discretionary; it is a legal obligation. it is a reminder that all of us have the right to seek asylum, and the right not to be subjected to persecution, death, torture, or other cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment or punishment. it is a means to finding safety, protection and dignity. in this exploratory and evocative series of work, seton expresses his conviction that we can not send those that claim asylum back to persecution and abuse

‘life vest (emergency)(medium)’, 2014
bianco carrara marble
51 x 35 x 40cm