Richard Mosse documents the migrant crisis for new show at the Barbican

Date
14 February 2017
Above

Richard Mosse. Image from Incoming, a book of still frames derived from Incoming, 2015–2016 – a three screen video installation by Richard Mosse in collaboration with Trevor Tweeten and Ben Frost. Courtesy of the artist and MACK.

The Barbican is set to show new work by Irish artist and Deutsche Börse Photography Prize winner Richard Mosse. Richard Mosse has teamed up with electronic composer Ben Frost and cinematographer Trevor Tweeten for Incoming, a striking video installation capturing the experience of refugees and migrants.

Using innovative weapons-grade technology which allows the user to track heat generated by human bodies over 30km away, Richard Mosse has built a powerful, human insight into the refugee crisis across the Middle East, Europe and North Africa in locations including the Aegean Sea, Libya, Syria, the Sahara and the Persian Gulf.

By producing images through a military telephoto camera, Richard Mosse forces his viewer to “see” human bodies in the same way as missiles would. In a critical essay in Incoming, the book which accompanies the exhibition published by Mack, the artist notes that “the camera carries a certain aesthetic violence, dehumanising the subject, portraying people in zombie form as monstrous, stripping the individual from the body and portraying a human as mere biological trace.”

Richard Mosse’s Incoming will run at the Barbican from 15 February – 23 April.

Above

Richard Mosse. Image from Incoming, a book of still frames derived from Incoming, 2015–2016 – a three screen video installation by Richard Mosse in collaboration with Trevor Tweeten and Ben Frost. Courtesy of the artist and MACK.

Above

Richard Mosse. Image from Incoming, a book of still frames derived from Incoming, 2015–2016 – a three screen video installation by Richard Mosse in collaboration with Trevor Tweeten and Ben Frost. Courtesy of the artist and MACK.

Above

Richard Mosse. Image from Incoming, a book of still frames derived from Incoming, 2015–2016 – a three screen video installation by Richard Mosse in collaboration with Trevor Tweeten and Ben Frost. Courtesy of the artist and MACK.

Above

Richard Mosse. Image from Incoming, a book of still frames derived from Incoming, 2015–2016 – a three screen video installation by Richard Mosse in collaboration with Trevor Tweeten and Ben Frost. Courtesy of the artist and MACK.

Above

Richard Mosse. Image from Incoming, a book of still frames derived from Incoming, 2015–2016 – a three screen video installation by Richard Mosse in collaboration with Trevor Tweeten and Ben Frost. Courtesy of the artist and MACK.

Above

Richard Mosse. Image from Incoming, a book of still frames derived from Incoming, 2015–2016 – a three screen video installation by Richard Mosse in collaboration with Trevor Tweeten and Ben Frost. Courtesy of the artist and MACK.

Above

Richard Mosse. Image from Incoming, a book of still frames derived from Incoming, 2015–2016 – a three screen video installation by Richard Mosse in collaboration with Trevor Tweeten and Ben Frost. Courtesy of the artist and MACK.

Above

Richard Mosse. Image from Incoming, a book of still frames derived from Incoming, 2015–2016 – a three screen video installation by Richard Mosse in collaboration with Trevor Tweeten and Ben Frost. Courtesy of the artist and MACK.

Above

Richard Mosse. Image from Incoming, a book of still frames derived from Incoming, 2015–2016 – a three screen video installation by Richard Mosse in collaboration with Trevor Tweeten and Ben Frost. Courtesy of the artist and MACK.

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About the Author

Bryony Stone

Bryony joined It's Nice That as Deputy Editor in August 2016, following roles at Mother, Secret Cinema, LAW, Rollacoaster and Wonderland. She later became Acting Editor at It's Nice That, before leaving in late 2018.

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