arrivalsanddepartures.net

What It Is

Arrivals + Departures is an interactive public art installation by the UK artist duo YARA + DAVINA. Visually modeled on the “arrivals/departures” information boards commonly seen in train stations and airports, it invites the public to submit a name as either an “Arrival” (birth) or a “Departure” (death). The work is used to celebrate new life, commemorate the deceased, or express a public memory of someone significant. The project was first shown at Somerset House in London in 2020, and has since appeared at multiple arts festivals across the UK, as well as in places such as Zurich and New York.

Core Experience and Design Dimensions

The core of the project is not graphic editing, but “participatory commemoration.” Users can submit a name and year through a website form, with optional fields for date, location, story, and email address. Once reviewed, the name appears on the on-site mechanical split-flap/dot-style display board. After leaving the physical board, it enters the website Archive; if a location is provided, it will also remain permanently on the Map. The choice of medium is highly intentional: the physical mechanical display contrasts with the instant-posting logic of social media, amplifying the weight of a name being seen in public.

Pricing and Licensing

The main text does not disclose whether public submissions require payment; based on the form description, no payment process appears to be involved. Fees for touring, commissions, or institutional collaborations are also not specified. In terms of copyright, the text clearly states that the project was created by YARA + DAVINA, produced by Artsadmin, and supported through multiple co-commissions and funding partners, but it does not provide reusable licensing terms, commercial licensing details, or material download conditions.

Pros and Cons

Its strengths are a clear concept and strong public dimension, turning themes such as birth, death, mourning, social justice, and public remembrance into an accessible participatory format. The project is also accompanied by talks, workshops, and community activities, making it well suited to arts festivals and urban cultural contexts. Its limitations are that it is not a general-purpose creative tool; names are limited to 24 characters and only support letters and hyphens, which is not friendly to multilingual names. Display time depends on the submission queue, and all content must be reviewed.

Who It’s For and Access from China

It is a useful reference for public art curators, cultural institutions, arts festivals, community projects, and organizations interested in life education or commemoration-related themes. The main text does not provide information about access from China, so it is not possible to determine whether the site can be reached reliably without interruption.