The P.R.omised Land - Angela Viora's Portfolio

WORKS / The P.R.omised Land

The P.R.omised Land is now on show at CO.AS.IT. Museo Italiano as a photographic exhibition, until 22 December 2023. I'll perform The P.R.omised Land live again on 14 November 2023 at CO.AS.IT. Please register here.

The P.R.omised Land

Live performance & performance for the camera.

11th ACIS Conference (Australasian Centre for Italian Studies).

University of Western Australia - UWA, Boorloo/Perth; December 2022

Sponsored by Monash University (LLCL School)

Ph: Susi Nodding for A.Viora

In The P.R.omised Land, "P.R." stands for Permanent Residency, the ultimate goal of immigrants in Australia. My body carries words that mark my life in Australia as an expat. Through this body of mine, I explore, map, reframe, and reveal the surrounding environment.

How do we occupy the many geographical, political, social, and emotional places in which we are?

Which roles do we perform in these places?

We are here as … who and what?

I spot an accent

Visa 485

Student visa
Reciprocal Medicare Agreement
Are you travelling or do you live here?
What do you do here?
EXPAT
Visa 475
I assume you’re from overseas
GRANTED
Bridging Visa
Ti chiamo domani, qui è tardi, devo andare a dormire
A.I.R.E. Anagrafe Italiani Residenti all’Estero
Non-Indigenous-non-Australian
Visa 300
Consolato italiano 1/509 St Kilda Rd, Melbourne VIC 3004
Where is "home"?
Where is "land"?
The P.R.omised Land
Unione Europea Repubblica Italiana YB40743185
Rejected
Australian Consulate-General, Via Borgogna, 2, 20122 Milano MI, Italy

These are words told to me in my daily life or appearing on documents such as Visas, Medicare applications, job contracts, or key-words defining my life as an expat. Other immigrants, migrants, and expats can relate to these words. Those who do not relate, will realise realities that they might be not aware of. I carry these words on and through my body: they are part of me and I cannot get rid of them, unless I am in Italy, Europe, or in another country, or I change my political status again. Yet some elements will always stay with me because the experience of migration cannot be undone. For example, my accent and my passport, which have become “something” only once I moved overseas.