Thinking outside the boxes. Comics and migration
Between September 2015 and September 2020, the Musée National de l’Histoire de l’Immigration presents a free travelling exhibition Thinking outside the boxes. Comics and migration. Distributed by the Museum but also independently by some fifteen partners, this exhibition was conceived and designed for all types of audience.
The Musée National de l’Histoire de l’Immigration presents the mobile exhibition Thinking outside the boxes. Comics and migration, which will be available through 2026. It is distributed by the Museum and its partners in France and worldwide.
Thinking outside the boxes explores the historical relationship between the development of the comic book and migratory movements. It highlights the way in which the comic book gradually became a preferred way of describing migration and its issues, in increasingly diverse formats, leaving a large share to personal and family stories. Combining works from all periods, from the early days of the comic book to the most recent creation, it questions the way in which images of the foreigner, the immigrant and migration have changed as mind-sets have evolved.
Objectives of Thinking outside the boxes. Comics and migration
- Present some major authors in the history of comic book development and show how their migration journey did or didn’t influence their work.
- Show how the development of new forms of storytelling has enabled the emergence of different ways of describing migration
- Give a voice to authors who have told personal stories of migrants.
- Show how representations of migrations and migrants in comic books have changed and deconstructed the prejudices, caricatures and stereotypes that still underpin many acts of racism, anti-Semitism and discrimination to this day.
Available resources
- 10 banners with grommets (150 x 180 cm) and freestanding supports
- Available in 2 languages: French and English