Adrift

Adrift tells part of the visual story of Corina Lacatus's ethnographic research during 18 months in 2022-2024 (supported by the British Academy and Leverhulme Trust). These photos and accompanying narratives invite you to come closer to the stories of migrants who risk their lives crossing the Atlantic from the north-eastern coast of Africa to the Canary Islands, Spain. ‘La ruta canaria’ is the most dangerous maritime route into Europe with the highest number of fatalities in the past years. It’s commonly the route of desperate people, of the poorest and of those who have exhausted all other safer alternative to cross over to Europe. This artwork represents an invitation to reflect on the fate of the people who survived the perilous journey across the Atlantic and of the thousands who don’t make it across to Europe each year.

In addition to Corina’s artwork, featured here are also 10 photos by two photographers who reside in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and who have been documenting migration to the islands. Celeste Bruno is an Argentinian photographer who lives and works in the Canary Islands. Her work aims to visually capture the complexity of migration. Manuel Navarro is a Spanish photographer native of Gran Canaria island, who began visually documenting the reality of irregular migration to the Canary Islands in 2021.

Host or Publisher School of Politics and International Relations