Stanford University's Cantor Arts Center may still be closed for in-person visits, but that doesn't mean the center doesn't continue to open new exhibitions in its galleries -- available 24/7 to virtual visitors. Earlier this month, the center marked the opening of "When Home Won’t Let You Stay: Migration through Contemporary Art," a touring exhibition organized by the Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston that explores the experiences of refugees, immigrants and migrants, both in a historical context and in the present day.
The group show features about 40 artworks created in a variety of media by about 20 artists from about a dozen countries who share a variety of perspectives on migration and displacement, including personal accounts and more abstract takes.
According to the exhibition's website, "When Home Won't Let You Stay" was originally scheduled to open as an in-person exhibition last fall, but was delayed due to the pandemic. With public health restrictions still in place, the Cantor is offering virtual tours of the exhibition.
The museum is the exhibit's only West Coast stop, and although that particular fact may matter a bit less to visitors now that the show is online, the geography isn't insignificant, given that immigration, migration and displacement play major roles in California's history and in contemporary times.
While on display at the Cantor, "When Home Won’t Let You Stay" includes two additional works that haven't been shown elsewhere as part of the exhibition: "Nest" by San Mateo-based artist Diana Li, and two pieces from the series Displacement by Golnar Adili, a Brooklyn, New York, artist. These additional pieces were chosen for "close thematic and artistic ties to the immigrant experience on the West Coast," according to a press release about the exhibition.
"When Home Won't Let You Stay" is available online through May 31. For more information, visit museum.stanford.edu.
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