Sign looking glass : No travellers

The term ‘Roma and Travellers’ is an umbrella term currently used by the Council of Europe, covering a diverse and non-homogenous group of people. It includes, for example: Romanichals in England; Kalé in Wales and Finland; Travellers in Ireland, Scotland, Sweden, and Norway; Manouche from France; Gitano from Spain; Sinti from Germany, Poland, Austria, and Italy; Ashakli from Kosovo; Egyptians from Albania; Beyash from Croatia; Romanlar from Turkey; Domari from Palestine and Egypt; Lom from Armenia, and many others. The Travellers in Ireland and the UK are not ethnically Roma. It is reported that there are around 300 000 Travellers in the UK and they are one of the most disadvantaged groups who experience high levels of discrimination. Daniel Baker, the creator of this artwork, is an artist and curator. This is how he describes it in the RomArchive: ‘My “looking glass sign” works subvert the convention of the ornamental mirror by inviting and confounding the viewer at the same time. “No Travellers” signs could be seen until relatively recently in UK pubs to dissuade Romanies from entering. Despite legislation to ban such racist signifiers, some premises still sidestep the law. A few years ago, I saw a cardboard sign in the window of an East London pub stating “Travellers by appointment only”—easily removed and destroyed if necessary by its author. My response was to produce a series of “No Travellers” signs, which through their attractive ornamentality contrast the grubbiness of the said artefacts to expose the hypocrisy of furtive prejudice. By monumentalising sentiments these objects render visible the racism that remains embedded in the architecture of the establishment.’

Inscription No travellers