Unpacking Displaced Voices of Migration: Personified Significations of the Ubiquitous Plaid Carry Bag in the Works of Two South African Artists
As a subject of art-historical analysis, the ubiquitous, plaid, mesh bag reveals intricate narratives of forced migration inherent in its very conception. This thesis concerns the reconfigurations of the bag as a symbol of migration in works of South African artists Nobkuho Nqaba, and Dan Halter. Using the framework of the 'sign formula' as conceived by linguist Ferdinand de Saussure, and Irit Rogoff's reconstruction of the sign system attached to the concept of ‘luggage’, this thesis will find that the bag exists within a paradox of signifying displacement and home simultaneously. The renderings of new meanings that emerge from the artistic portrayals of the bag will further emphasise our inter-cultural reality, which refers to not a geolocational space but rather the holistic, interconnected sensation we experience due to the continuing globalisation of our interactions. Nqaba and Halter's works supply spaces that cultivate conversations regarding the challenges faced by the migrant community. Deconstructing certain pieces from their respective series will reveal their progressive approaches to provide wider understandings of how the bag is a source of valuable narratives, thus refining the avenues of art historical inquiries involving materials found in everyday life.
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