Story

Local Foreigners exhibition in Edinburgh

Written byMaryna Sulym
Published date 16 August 2023

Since moving from Ukraine to the UK, as a photographer and artist I have been interested in migrant identity. While pursuing my MA in Photojournalism and Documentary Photography at London College of Communication, I began interviewing immigrants about their experiences. This led to the creation of the Local Foreigners project, an online gallery that now showcases 60 portraits and stories aimed at dignifying the image of immigration. The project portrays the human side of immigration through portraits and personal stories of people who have moved to the UK from various countries.

an older woman wearing glasses sitting on a sofa — **Portrait of Neeru Bhatnagar, who has made the UK her home for more than 40 years**

Last year I received an Arts Council grant that allowed me to travel from London to Scotland to interview people there. The project was warmly welcomed in Edinburgh, and instead of the planned three interviews, I met 12 people who were happy to share their stories. The Museum of Edinburgh created an exhibition about them, which opened in March 2023.

a portrait of the artist maryna sulym — **Maryna Sulym at the exhibition of Local Foreigners in the Museum of Edinburgh**

The exhibition displays stories of people who moved to Edinburgh from various countries like Ukraine, India, Brazil, Slovakia, USA, and more. Every story is complex and unique, but at the same time relatable for many visitors. In the portraits I created with the feedback of the participants, I wanted to show immigrants as people of power and influence, as important members of our society. Every person chooses the location for their portraits, and it is always somewhere meaningful to them.

people in an exhibition reading and viewing objects — **Visitors read the stories of migration**

As well as portraits, the museum exhibits the actual items that remind the participants of their home, and the stories connected to the objects. The cases are highlighting the objects that the participants loaned to the museum: a transparent haze of a pink sari, a colourful book about Lviv, even a toothbrush that one of the participants brought from their home country.

a woman stood next to a museum display cabinet — **Viviana Longo loaned her Moka, an espresso maker that she brought from Italy, to the museum.**

The exhibition is housed in a 16th-century building of the Museum of Edinburgh, located in the heart of the city. The cozy atmosphere of the room, created by the old wooden panels, connects personal stories to the history of a city that has always been bustling with newcomers. Visitors often peek in for a quick look but end up staying longer to read the stories.

a person writing in a visitor book — **A visitor writes a review in the guest book**

Many people were drawn to the "Local Foreigners" exhibition and found the personal stories very relatable. Some of them wrote in the guest book and even on the website, expressing their fascination with seeing someone similar photographed for the exhibition. "All museums should have a room like this," reads one of the guest book entries. Some visitors also shared their own migration stories, becoming part of the exhibition.

I hope that in the future people will own and carry the term 'immigrant' with dignity and pride. And I am happy that with this exhibition, we have just come a step closer to this future.

a poster advertising an online symposium — **Perceptions of migration - online symposium**

In association with the exhibition, an online symposium about the representation of immigration in the UK will take place on August 31st at 7 pm (BST) via Zoom.

The symposium will explore how migration is represented in the media and in museums, and how this influences people's perceptions of migration.

The speakers include Myself, Dr Sarah Kyambi of Migration Policy Scotland, and Emily Miller of the Migration Museum. The event will be chaired by writer and journalist, Susan Mansfield.

The Local Foreigners exhibition at the Museum of Edinburgh is open and free to view until Sunday 10 September.

Local Foreigners exhibition in Edinburgh

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