Abstract
In this visual essay, I deconstruct the hegemonic representation of asylum seekers, which portrays them as a multitude without any individuality, integrity, or political subjectivity. I problematize the portrayal of asylum seekers through an examination that emphasizes the poetic aspect of the political. French philosopher, Jacques Rancière asserts that the notion of the politic has aesthetic and poetic dimensions that facilitates the emergence of political subjectivity. A poetic aspect of the political unsettles conventional, instrumental, and bureaucratic order. Therefore, it paves the way to deconstruct the pre-existing stereotypes and clichés around asylum seekers who are often described as victims without any intellectual ability and political subjectivity.1 I also examine how poetry transgresses given identities and can be considered as a form of political resistance which deconstruct a visual representation of asylum seekers. A lot of poetry is derived from a particular experience and a creative approach to language that is based on non-referentiality which aims to capture a singular moment in a way that deviates from common representation. I will look at my installation at Göteborg Konsthall that consists of poetry and an architectural element.
Keywords: political subjectivity, poetry, hegemonic representation, the public