Fieldwork
Taking the ethnographic research method of "Object and Walking Probes in Ethnographic Interviewing" from Jason Patrick De Leon and Jeffery H. Cohen, we investigated artefacts we collected as we walked the trail people in-transit walk, as they try to cross the border over into Menton(France). We tried to analyse the presented objects in the context of irregular migration in Ventimiglia.
Through these objects, we hope to humanise the journey of people in-transit by presenting each of them as a story. The objects narrate different aspects of a journey: survival, fear, leisure, connection, community.
Book (B09)
Coordinates: 43°47'18"N 7°32'03"E; 703m above sea level
Site Information: Name: Migrant Route from Ventimiglia to Menton; Location: 18039 Grimaldi di Ventimiglia, Province of Imperia, Italy; Date of Excavation: 20/02/2023; Description: Found while going uphill—along the side of a non-concrete path
Artefact Information: Category: book, Size: 18cm x 10.5cm; Distinguishing Feature: no cover, ripped, pages are stuck together, novel is written in Italian, caked in mud/dirt
Chronology: Published Italian version in 2003, publisher: I Sleep
Contextual Information: Book starts at page: 225 - 406, binding glue has disintegrated, Title: In Tenebris, Author: Maxine Chattam, the book looks weathered, most likely wet and dried in the dirt, caked in mud, flattened, maybe stepped on
Provenance: Italy
Preservation: Stored in a plastic ziplock bag
Analysis: Person understands and reads Italian, the book is probably a thriller, person most likely had leisure time while on the move, maybe given or donated to a person - indicates that people have a lot of time on the move, and find ways to entertain themselves
Radio Transistor (A25)
Coordinates: 43°47'16"N 7°32'03"E; 705m above sea level
Site Information: Name: Migrant Route from Ventimiglia to Menton; Location: 18039 Grimaldi di Ventimiglia, Province of Imperia, Italy; Date of Excavation: 20/02/2023; Description: Found while going uphill—along the side of a non-concrete path
Artefact Information: Category: electornics, AM/FM radio; Size: 5.5cm x 9.5cm x2cm; Weight: N/A; Distinguishing Features: silver radio transistor with black circular speaker, woven strap, batteries missing and cover missing
Chronology: Estimated bought more than 10 years
Contextual Information: Battery operated, Brand: "Fashionable Group", KK-225, "Just for you!", volune is on 50 percent when found, Frequency: 103 FM, 130 AM, antenna is broken
Provenance: Unknown
Preservation: Stored in a plastic ziplock bag
Analysis: Indicates that a person might not have a smartphone and using a burner phone, likes to enjoy listening to music or keep updated on the news and local information, old piece of technology but somewhat reliable on the trail as it's battery operated
Asthma Pump (A25)
Coordinates: 43°47'16"N 7°32'03"E; 705m above sea level
Site Information: Name: Migrant Route from Ventimiglia to Menton; Location: 18039 Grimaldi di Ventimiglia, Province of Imperia, Italy; Date of Excavation: 20/02/2023; Description: Found while going uphill—along the side of a non-concrete path
Artefact Information: Category: medecine, Size: 8cm x 3cm; Weight: N/A; Distingushing Features: light blue, dark blue cap, Asthma ventolin puffer, no canister
Chronology: Estimated bought less than 1 year
Contextual Information: Brand: "Berg", heavily scratched, weathered, slightly dirty, plastic is dented, "Aerol Salbutamol", 200 doses
Provenance: Manufactured in Tunisia by "BERG Life Sciences"
Preservation: Stored in a plastic ziplock bag
Analysis: Indicates that person has asthma or respiratory issues, indicates that people make the journey despite health conditions
Comb (A26)
Coordinates: 43°47'16"N 7°32'03"E; 705m above sea level
Site Information: Name: Migrant Route from Ventimiglia to Menton; Location: 18039 Grimaldi di Ventimiglia, Province of Imperia, Italy; Date of Excavation: 20/02/2023; Description: Found while going uphill—along the side of a non-concrete path
Artefact Information: Category: grooming; Size: 12.5cm x 2.5 cm; Weight: N/A; Distingushing Features: black plastic hair comb, no branding
Chronology: Estimated bought within last 6 months
Contextual Information: Clean pocket comb, no hair, looks fairly new
Provenance: Unknown
Preservation: Stored in a plastic ziplock bag
Analysis: Indicates personal grooming is valued on the trail, most likely a mans comb because of its size, maybe it was lost - fell out of the pocket because it looks new
Power Bank (A35)
Coordinates: 43°47'16"N 7°32'03"E; 705m above sea level
Site Information: Name: Migrant Route from Ventimiglia to Menton; Location: 18039 Grimaldi di Ventimiglia, Province of Imperia, Italy; Date of Excavation: 20/02/2023; Description: Found while going uphill—along the side of a non-concrete path
Artefact Information: Category: electornics; Size: 10cm x 6.5cm; Weight: not calculated; Distinguishing Feature: white powerbank with 2 usb slots and one micro usb slot, 4 LED lights in the shape of arrows, two sides are ribbed, no brand
Chronology: Estimated bought less than 1 year
Contextual Information: Brand: "Berg", heavily scratched, weathered, slightly dirty, plastic is dented, "Aerol Salbutamol", 200 doses
Provenance: Manufactured in Tunisia by "BERG Life Sciences"
Preservation: Stored in a plastic ziplock bag
Analysis: Indicates that person has asthma or respiratory issues, indicates that people make the journey despite health conditions
Food Tin (B02)
Coordinates: 43°47'16"N 7°32'03"E; 705m above sea level
Site Information: Name: Migrant Route from Ventimiglia to Menton; Location: 18039 Grimaldi di Ventimiglia, Province of Imperia, Italy; Date of Excavation: 21/02/2023; Description: Found while going uphill—along the side of a non-concrete path
Artefact Information: Category: food tin; Size: 5.5cm x 6.5cm; Weight: 135g with contents; Distinguishing Features: cylindrical red and yellow tin can, Brand: "Simmenthal", empty, no lid, image of cow on tin
Chronology: Estimated manufactured: less than 5 years
Contextual Information: LED lights are charging indicators, it is not in working condition, Product text: 9AA00mAh, lithium iron battery, "High Energy Mobile Power", there are brown marks on the object most liekly from soil, some yellow substance leaking from object
Provenance: Made in China
Preservation: Stored in a plastic ziplock bag
Analysis: Powerbanks are needed for people to charge their mobile devices, on the move there is less opportunity to access electornic/power outlets.
Waist Belt (B04)
Coordinates: 43°47'16"N 7°32'03"E; 705m above sea level
Site Information: Name: Migrant Route from Ventimiglia to Menton; Location: 18039 Grimaldi di Ventimiglia, Province of Imperia, Italy; Date of Excavation: 20/02/2023; Description: Found while going uphill—along the side of a non-concrete path
Artefact Information: Category: wearable, belt; Size: 111cm x 7cm(approximately); Weight: <not calculated yet>; Distinguishing Feature: metal buckle tarnished, missing metal tongue, mixed material, stitches and thread are unravelling, cracked, imprinted with "97" or "116"
Chronology: Estimated manufactured in the last 10 years
Contextual Information: No brand; leaf imprint, metal screws are rusted, faded, heavily used. Belt holes are equidistant to each other and other holes have been added to it
Provenance: Unable to identify
Preservation: Stored in a plastic ziplock bag
Analysis: Heavily used belt, able to distinguish waist size due to wear on belt hole, most likely a men's belt, faded, weathered and caked in dirt, left on trail for some time
Objects of Engagement
To elicit responses from activists and NGOs working on ground, we took 2 handbooks—for Ventimiglia and Bardonecchia each—where we mapped our research: useful information for people in transit, contacts of relevant people or organisations offering help while at the same time keeping it collaborative by providing stickers to update new information. Keeping the handbook collaborative was a design choice we made because the ever-moving nature of these spaces.
Handbook for Ventimiglia
Handbook for Bardonecchia