Modern irregular Argonauts : an artistic representation on the experiences of irregular immigrants

Abstract

The project is entitled 'Modern Irregular Argonauts', because of the parallelism between the present irregular migration crisis and the Greek epic poem 'Argonautica'. In the ancient text, Apollonius Rhodius tells the myth of a long journey undertaken by Jason and a group of heroes (who called themselves the Argonauts) across the Mediterranean Sea on board a ship named 'Argos'. Their mission was to retrieve the Golden Fleece situated in the city of Colchis. The journey turned out to be a very dangerous trip, with a lot of obstacles along the way which made their quest seem impossible. Akin to the mythological myth, today's migrants are embarking on perilous journeys in search for their Golden Fleece - freedom from persecution and conflicts. Similarly, this journey for freedom is full of obstacles with some of them being deadly. Unfortunately, the Mediterranean Sea has become a 'vast graveyard', with thousand of migrants drowning every year in their attempt to reach mainland Europe. Conflicts and persecution force these refugees to leave their motherland and embark on this long and dangerous journey in search for liberty and peace. In the Greek epic poem, Jason and the Argonauts eventually fulfil their mission and acquire the Golden Fleece. For most of the irregular immigrants, however, and even if they do manage to arrive at their European destination, the obstacles between them and their Golden Fleece persist in the form of detention, difficult integration within new political communities, and racism.