Migrate Art

posted by Emily Gosling May 24, 2021

Jeremy Deller, Michael Craig-Martin, Sarah Lucas, Tacita Dean, Guerrilla Girls, Pietro Ruffo and Sean Scully are among the 21 artists that have created posters for the Migrate Art initiative.

The series, named Raising for Myanmar, comprises 21 “protest posters” which are being sold for £50 each with all profits donated to the Support Myanmar Fund. This supports funds for the victims of the violent military coup that struck the country in February 2021, going towards the relief of medical staff, striking government workers and civilians who continue to protest on the streets despite life-threatening conditions. The posters are being sold off in tranches of seven, with the first having gone on sale on 10 May, with the two other releases taking place on 17 and 24 May.

According to the organisers, “The Support Myanmar Fund is one of a handful of trusted local and global emergency fundraisers that have been set up to support Burmese protesters, the families of those who have been killed and civilians who have been forcibly removed from their homes.”

Among the other artists who’ve contributed to the series are Michael Craig Martin, Tal R, Chila Kumari Burman, Richard Mosse, and Pietro Ruffo, as well as Bart Was Not Here and Richie Htet, two Burmese artists based in Yangon who, along with the city’s artistic community, have been using their work as a form of protest against the military coup.

“The idea to focus on this medium in particular relates to the key role posters have played in the Burmese resistance,” says Simon Butler, founder of Migrate Art. “Raising for Myanmar comes from the genuine urge to support people whose entire lives have been uprooted, and who are facing situations of extreme violence. It has been incredibly uplifting to see such a positive and quick response from all the artists involved.”

Raising for Myanmar adds, “The project is a testament to the power of collectivity and creativity, demonstrating that national borders and cultural differences are meaningless in the face of unity and benevolence.”

After being presented digitally on Migrate Art’s website, Raising for Myanmar’s posters will be exhibited in Mayfair from 24 May. All posters will be on sale until 27 June.

Migrate Art is a social enterprise founded in 2016 by Simon Butler to raise money for the refugee crisis through contemporary art. Migrate Art empowers displaced people by collaborating with the world’s leading creating thinkers and grass-roots charities. To date, they have raised over £600,000; funded projects across the UK, Europe and Middle East; and worked with many of the world’s best artists including Anish Kapoor, Mona Hatoum, Sean Scully, Shepard Fairey, Antony Gormley and Loie Hollowell.