Omi Iyọ installation by Nifemi Marcus-Bello @ 5VIE Design Week – All photos by ©Amir Farzad.
Design—Nigerian designer Nifemi Marcus-Bello has created a touching installation at the historic Palazzo Litta in the heart of Milan. Titled Omi Iyọ, the timely work calls attention to the dangerous journeys of undocumented migrants from Africa to Europe. It serves as a poetic marker honouring the very real human toll of this crisis. The installation was commissioned by the 5Vie Design District and curated by Anna Carnick.
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Omi Iyọ means salt water in Yoruba, the designer’s mother tongue. Survivors of such desperate journeys from the shores of North Africa to European coasts are often severely debilitated from being exposed to salt and sun for far too long.
On the top of the installation is a mirrored stainless steel piece, reminiscent of a boat’s hull, filled with salt. The salt flows from an aperture at the bottom, creating a mesmerising pattern of salt crystals below.
Italy is at the centre of the migration crisis. Every year, hundreds of thousands of people try to reach Sicily by boat. Many never make it. “It was important to bring this work to Europe—and specifically to Italy—to share it with the international community who 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.”
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Anna Carnick notes, “Marcus-Bello’s poetic, potent works hold a mirror up to this moment, encouraging thoughtful discourse on one of the most pressing issues of our day—and demonstrating design’s potential to connect beyond borders. For Milan, Omi Iyọ is presented within a space dedicated to encouraging reflection. While the root causes and implications of migration are complex, we believe we must always recognise and honour universal human dignity.”
Omi Iyọ installation by Nifemi Marcus-Bello @ 5VIE Design Week – Photo by Amir Farzad.
All photos by ©Amir Farzad, courtesy of 5Vie.
