Tastes Like Paper

2025
UK Immigration White Paper printed on edible wafer paper

In May 2025, the UK government released a new immigration white paper, sparking frustration and controversy among many migrants. The document proposed a reduction of the Post-Study Work Visa (PSW) from two years to 18 months, and extended the pathway to permanent residency or citizenship from five to ten years for those on work visas.
As international students, we already pay at least five times more in tuition fees than local students to study in the UK—yet we are made to feel deeply unwelcome. Similar tightening of immigration policies is also taking place in the United States.
In this work, I printed the UK immigration white paper onto edible paper. Together with audiences of different nationalities and backgrounds, we chew it up—or throw it into the border sea. Through this gesture, the phrase “restoring control over the immigration system” is returned to the border itself.

2025年5月，英国政府发布了一份新的移民白皮书，在许多移民群体中引发挫败与争议。文件提出了例如将毕业后工作签证（PSW）从两年缩短至18个月，并将持工作签证者获得永久居留或公民身份的路径从五年延长至十年的法案。
作为国际学生，我们在英国求学所支付的学费至少是本地学生的五倍，却仍被置于一种强烈的被排斥感之中。与此同时，美国也在推进类似的移民政策收紧。

在这件作品中，我将英国移民白皮书印制在可食用纸张上，并与来自不同国籍与背景的观众一同将其咀嚼，或投入边境之海。通过这一行动，“恢复对移民体系的控制”这一表述被重新归还至边境本身。

Photo Credit René Lazový