Stories of Migration: Making Social Impact Through Creative Research

Valentina Rios, BSc Politics, Philosophy and Economics, 03/02/2025

The new exhibition at SOAS Gallery, Stories of Migration, is a collaborative effort with a nonprofit organization, PositiveNegatives. The exhibition invites visitors to explore the human side of migration through an innovative and deeply personal lens. Here, numbers and statistics dissolve into vivid personal narratives, inviting visitors to connect with the experiences of migrants in a transformative way. Using media including graphic novels, photographic research, animated films, and stop-motion works, it tells the stories of people on the move, their departures, journeys, and destinations. By offering fresh perspectives on these often-overlooked human aspects of migration, the exhibition fosters empathy and understanding, making it an invaluable resource for classrooms, humanitarian organizations, and curious minds alike. 

SOAS Gallery’s intimate setting is perfectly suited to such an emotional and thought-provoking exhibition. Its scale allows for quiet reflection, encouraging a closer engagement with the stories on display. 

The visual storytelling throughout is both expressive and immersive, with works like North Star Fading standing out, an animation inspired by the testimonies of Eritrean refugees and their dangerous journeys across multiple countries. Through its disorienting zoom effect, the piece immerses viewers in the character’s emotional headspace, capturing the fear and simultaneous resilience of migrants. This viscerality fosters a sense of compassion and empathy that lingers long after the exhibit.

The exhibition demonstrates the power of creativity in communicating complex research. Visual storytelling, whether through animations, illustrations, or graphic novels, can overcome barriers that traditional academic methods often cannot. By transforming data into relatable, emotional narratives, PositiveNegatives proves that art can be a powerful tool to create a positive social impact, reaching wider and more diverse audiences.

Founded in 2012 by Dr. Benjamin Worku-Dix, PositiveNegatives bridges the gap between academic research and public engagement, transforming complex data into visual storytelling that resonates with people of all ages and backgrounds. I first encountered PositiveNegatives at the Migration Film Festival, during their talk on Subverting the Narrative of Migration through Creative Acts. 

A commitment to authenticity is clear in their creative approach as an investigative team ensures there is a culturally nuanced representation of those being depicted within the animations. The result is an attention to detail that goes beyond aesthetics, capturing subtle details such as the movement of clothing, the texture of landscapes, and the colors of the sky in a way that feels genuine and deeply rooted in the culture being portrayed.

Collaborating with over 400 artists worldwide, PositiveNegatives brings together researchers, artists, and communities to tell migration stories with authenticity and care. This process is grounded in empathy, combining disciplines like migration studies, conflict resolution, and human rights with the lived experiences of those at the heart of these stories.

The exhibition challenges visitors to rethink their assumptions about migration. What does it mean to be a migrant? Is the majority of migration from the Global South to the Global North? Is hope enough? These questions are brought to life in the animated learning area, a PositiveNegatives initiative that extends its creative research into classrooms around the world to stimulate critical thinking. By encouraging reflection and interaction, this space deepens engagement, making the exhibition feel like an active dialogue rather than a passive experience.

Stories of Migration is a must-see for anyone seeking an enriching and nuanced perspective on the human aspects of migration. By transforming abstract data into compelling stories with faces, voices, and emotions, the exhibition is a continuation and celebration of PositiveNegatives’ remarkable body of work, which strives to foster greater empathy and understanding in the study of migration.

Stories of Migration runs until the 22nd of March at SOAS Gallery, on campus.