Shaun Levin

I Walked All the Way Here

Shaun Levin

I Walked All the Way Here

Date

2023

Media

Colored Pencil

Binding

Accordion

Dimensions

7 × 4 in

Location

Madrid, Spain

$ 1,400.00

1 in stock


“Every year, millions of people undertake perilous journeys to reach safety, by foot or in boats across seas. In 2023, 280,000 people set out to cross the Mediterranean Sea towards Europe. Many did not survive. We speak of their unimaginable hardships, their unimaginable dangers, their unimaginable will. What if we imagine the fate of those who drown and what becomes of their bodies? I Walked All the Way Here is a meditation on the people who did not survive the journey and on the importance of listening to the people who have made it to our shores.

As a great-grandchild of people who left Europe by ship in the 1890s to find safety in Africa, I am acutely aware of the complex movement of people between continents. The journey of my ancestors was shaped by different circumstances and privileges in moving from Europe to Africa, yet at the heart of both sea journeys lies a shared, profound desire to survive.”

Text reads: FRONT Can I come in? Please. “Don’t you miss the sea?” “Who? Me? I’ve seen enough of the sea.” REVERSE Days of floating until we became food to fish and oysters. Our dreams are now in you. The nightmares you created, birthed, the longings we carried with us. Listen to those who’ve reached the shore. They can tell you all you need to know about yourselves. Let them welcome you to the haven of their dinner table. BACK COVER The night reminds us: In our dreams, nothing is wasted. Our memories are worse than reality. Our bliss bleeds into our days.