Fundamentally, migration is an expression of movement on the levels of culture, society, and geography. The idea of migration has been studied as a research topic in a wide variety of fields of study from the distant past to the present day, and its causes, circumstances, and outcomes have also been the subject of discussion. Because migration is both a concept and an action that encompasses both voluntary and obligatory geographical movements. In the literature, there are several definitions regarding how to classify migrants. However, in the realm of the arts, it was noted how those who travelled in search of a better or more required living were exposed to racism, violence, and policies that resulted in death. There have been conceptual works generated on migration in the realm of art, and there have been artists who have displayed critical attitudes via the works that they have produced. Doris Salcedo’s “Palimpsesto” in which she writes the names of these immigrants with water, can be seen as an activist action highlighting the fact that the names of those who set out to migrate in search of a better life but died in the attempt are forgotten over time. To explain Salcedo’s application with the names of people who died on the floor of the Palacio de Cristal, associating it with the concept of “Palimpsest”, through the concept of migration, and to determine the role of visual elements used as reminders in the meaning-form relationship are the objectives of this study. Furthermore this study aims at making an analysis of the relationship situation using the descriptive analysis approach, utilizing illustrative examples of the artist’s work titled “Palimpsesto”. It is for this reason that an attempt is being made to create a relationship between the transformation of this critical approach to the notion and policies of migration into an artistic expression and the consequences that it has on the audience.
Keywords: Doris Salcedo, palimpsesto, sculpture, migration