Compositions of Flow: Unpacking the Ambiguities of Migrant Experience and Freedom of Movement
Compositions of Flow: Unpacking the Ambiguities of Migrant Experience and Freedom of Movement

Summary/Abstract: This article presents Compositions of Flow (COF), an interdisciplinary investigation of labor migration in Regensburg that combines artistic intervention with qualitative sociological research. The project responds to the simplified portrayal of migration in public discourse, where right-wing and populist narratives often obscure migrants’ lived realities behind numbers and stereotypes. By integrating participatory artistic installations with a mixed-methods survey, COF highlights the ambivalence and multidimensionality of migration experiences. The project’s title, referencing the human rights concept of “freedom of movement,” problematizes the dissonance between its theoretical promise and migrants’ realities. In the context of EU labor migration, the positively biased principle of free movement, which applies to EU citizens, tends to overshadow actual migrant experiences. The legal right to pursue economic activity “under the same conditions as nationals” suggests that equality can be achieved with minimal effort, neglecting challenges such as language acquisition, bureaucracy, housing, and the loss of social networks. The artistic component, realized at symbolically significant urban sites, created a visual and experiential framework for reflecting on movement, transition, and ambivalence. Complementing this, a sociological survey conducted between 2021 and 2023 with 52 participants from Eastern and Central Europe explored migration motives, employment, socioeconomic status, integration challenges, and subjective perceptions of life in Germany. Findings reveal both opportunities and barriers: many participants achieved stability and income gains, yet they also faced downward mobility, long working hours, and experiences of exclusion. The article shows how art-informed research can foreground the ambivalence of migration, challenge simplified narratives of freedom of movement, and foster empathy, critical reflection, and solidarity.

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