Perusing British writer, poet, editor and teacher, Warsan Shire’s efficacious poem Home, one attains a visceral understanding of the pain, trauma and helplessness that pushes individuals to undertake migrant journeys through some of the most precarious routes and means. Shire, who hails from Somalia, a land bound in civil war for several decades, details the extremities of conditions that push people to the brink, and away from their homeland, through words that are reminiscent of typically uncharted emotions: 

“no one leaves home unless
home is the mouth of a shark
[...] no one leaves home unless home chases you
fire under feet
hot blood in your belly
[...] you have to understand,
that no one puts their children in a boat
unless the water is safer than the land [...]”

In an akin manner—to frame the human aspect behind such unbidden journeys that are consequently perceived as either liabilities or threats in the land refugees migrate to—Nigerian designer Nifemi Marcus-Bello created Omi Iyo. The installation calls attention to the dangerous journeys of undocumented migrants from Africa to Europe and demands attention to the human toll of such crises. Marcus-Bello’s Omi Iyo was originally designed in response to Berlin-based curator Anna Carnick’s curatorial theme for the Design Miami/ fair in December 2023, Where We Stand: Reflections on Place and Purpose. The showcase was also platformed at the recently concluded Milan Design Week 2024, from April 15 - 21, 2024. Stationed within the 5VIE Design District, organised in partnership with STIR as an esteemed media partner, the showcase fulfilled the district’s theme Unlimited Design Orchestra, which celebrates the vitality of our interconnectedness.

Marcus-Bello, who hails from Lagos, Nigeria, references the hull of a boat in his abstract stainless steel installation, the title of which translates to ‘salt water’ in Yoruba, the designer’s mother tongue. Omi Iyo was filled with salt at the beginning of its installation, to facilitate its flow from an aperture at the bottom of the piece. This slow flow of salt, mimicking the mechanism of an hourglass, resulted in the creation of a pattern of salt crystals on the floor. This is intended to serve as a marker of the treacherous journey that many migrants make across the ocean, with the aspiration of creating a better life across the horizon. 

To gain a deeper understanding of the curatorial and design process, STIR interacted with Anna Carnick and Nifemi Marcus-Bello. Edited excerpts from the interaction are as follows:

Almas Sadique: Anna, tell us about your process and experience curating the exhibition Omi Iyo. 

Anna Carnick: I met Nifemi in early 2023, and knew immediately I wanted to work with him. He is an incredible talent, and, as we learned over several months, we have a lot of shared values. Omi Iyọ was originally commissioned as a special project for Design Miami 2023, which I had the honour of curating. The work directly responded to the fair’s curatorial theme, Where We Stand: Reflections on Place and Purpose, which was a celebration of place, community, and heritage. The theme asked designers to consider: How does our relationship to the very ground beneath our feet and the people with whom we share it inform our sense of belonging, the obligations we have to one another, and our paths forward?

Nifemi’s Omi Iyọ design was a poignant response, calling attention to the dangerous journeys of undocumented migrants from Africa to Europe, serving as a poetic marker honouring the very real human toll of the migration crisis—and encouraging reflection on our shared responsibility to one another. The work was warmly received in Miami, and, given the project’s topic, it was important to us to bring the piece to Milan as well, particularly given Italy’s position in the geopolitical landscape and ongoing debates on migration policy.

Almas: Nifemi, what are some incidents and observations that led you to create Omi Iyo as a referential installation for migrant journeys?

Nifemi Marcus-Bello: The topic of migration and undocumented migrants is always playing at the back of my mind. However, even with regular conversations with peers, it was never a topic I thought I would address in my work, but after a chance meeting with a migrant in Venice around the time I got an invitation to put a proposal together for the entrance piece at Design Miami 2023, I saw an opportunity to create a work that could bring attention to and spark a dialogue on the current undocumented migrant story in West Africa. In Miami, the work resonated with a larger audience than I anticipated as many visitors shared intimate stories; and with this, the curator Anna Carnick and I saw the value in continuing the dialogue in a place like Italy.

It was important to bring this work to Europe—and specifically to Italy—to share it with the international community that engage with Milan Design Week; to recognise the country’s prominent position in this urgent crisis; and, importantly, as a tribute to all those who have attempted, successfully and not, journeys to its shores. So many people are directly impacted by this issue. The work is intended to spark a broader dialogue around the increasing rate of migration on the African and European continents, while respectfully centring the human impact.

Almas: Does the usage of stainless steel for the installation symbolise a deeper message, or was it an aesthetic choice?

Nifemi: The use of stainless steel with a mirrored finish was extremely important to the materiality of the final design. With the migrant story, I wanted people to see themselves in it and understand that we all have a part to play in this global village we live in, with the importance of knowing that we are all the same, living the same lives and wanting the same basic needs; love, family and survival.

Almas: What does the flow of salt in Omi Iyọ signify?

Nifemi: The flow of salt is a double entendre. It is tied to a story told to me by an undocumented Senegalese migrant in Venice, Italy, who had a horrific experience of loss after the boat he rode from Tripoli capsized at the shores of Italy while crossing the Mediterranean. He told me about the trauma of seawater getting into his mouth throughout the journey and how the taste of salt traumatised him for weeks. The salt flowing to the ground also symbolises the salting of the earth in the Global South i.e. a lot of Africa’s current socio-economic issues stemming from human, systematic and material extraction via colonisation. Salting of the earth means destroying, rather than building.

Almas: What are some of your new learnings and realisations while designing and making the installation?

Nifemi: I am learning that designers aren't encouraged to talk about two things, politics and money.

Almas: Anna, since the installation was initially designed as a response to the curatorial theme Where We Stand: Reflections on Place and Purpose, how was its presentation modified to sit within 5VIE?

Anna: In Miami, the work was prominently placed at the entrance of the fair, immediately beside the curatorial statement. It was the first design object seen upon entering the design fair, and the setting was quite minimalistic. For Milan, we created an intimate space, envisioned as a quiet setting for contemplation. Thanks to 5VIE’s support, we were lucky enough to present the piece inside the beautiful Palazzo Litta, and we chose to darken the room dramatically, using only a spotlight on the installation. Omi Iyọ was placed upon an evocative blue wall, which contrasted beautifully with the work’s materiality and the historic space. The result was a quiet environment in which to reflect on the experiences of those who make this difficult journey and to consider our collective responsibility to one another.

Almas: What are some policy changes for migration that you think are necessary in the region?

Anna: The globally occurring trend of governments seeking to deter migration through ever more draconian responses—whether it’s criminalising search and rescue missions at sea,  separating families in the United States, or sending asylum seekers to other, far away nations, as the UK has just announced—is inhumane. It offends our universal human dignity. We must denounce fear-mongering and instead address the root causes of migration—whether to escape conflict or persecution, poverty, the impacts of the climate crisis, and beyond. No one chooses to make these dangerous journeys lightly; anyone who seeks asylum in another land does so because it feels necessary.

No matter the reason for someone’s movement, we must remember our shared humanity—and demand that our governments offer the same dignity we would each hope for, were the shoe on the other foot. As Human Rights Watch advocates, we need more protection for migrant populations and expanded pathways to safe and regular migration. We must respect basic human rights. I believe that each of us individually—as citizens of a shared world—should also seek opportunities to practise kindness in our own communities every day.

Almas: Describe Milan Design Week 2024 in a word or two.

Anna: Inspiring, energising.

Nifemi: Open minded. This was my first Salone and I was a bit nervous to present work that isn’t your typical furniture piece but a piece of sculpture and design. I have been pleasantly surprised with the reception and engagement of the work.

Nifemi Marcus-Bello’s ‘Omi Iyo’ was on view from April 15-21, 2024, within the 5VIE Design District, at Palazzo Litta, Corso Magenta 24, 20123 Milan, Italy.

Stay tuned to STIR's coverage of Milan Design Week 2024 which showcases the best of exhibitions, studios, designers, installations, brands and events to look out for. Explore EuroCucina and all the design districts—Fuorisalone, 5vie Design Week, Isola Design Week, Brera Design District and Porta Venezia Design District.