In a world engulfed by an endless flood, the Dove from Noah’s Ark ventures into the infinite sea, searching for land but finding only pedestrian refuge islands—small, isolated patches adrift in a vast, unwelcoming ocean.
Refuge Islands is a mixed-media exploration of migration and displacement. Crafted from foam, wood, metal, modelling clay, fabric, and paper, the installations feature three sets and four puppets, along with text, illustrations, and a stop motion animation. In Refuge Islands, pedestrian refuge islands are reimagined as symbolic landscapes representing the fragile promise of safety and settlement, as well as compact and tangible manifestations of semiotics. These islands are inhabited by four characters—a dove, two penguins, and an ostrich—each representing distinct narratives of migration, identity, and the complex interplay between hope and disillusionment faced by displaced individuals.
Ann embraces an analogue and three-dimensional approach to imagemaking. As a storyteller, picture book illustrator, stop motion animator, and puppet and model maker, her work explores narratives surrounding urban life, the human body, wellbeing, and displacement.