A SIM card is many things: An international ID card housed within our smartphones, a repository of personal data, and a tool for intimate connection. It provides a bridge to transnational, as well as local networks to give us a portable sense of belonging. 

The SIM Project is a grassroots global archive of miniature artworks, created in local workshops that connect people of different backgrounds beyond labels and beyond borders. The project has travelled to eight countries—from Finland to Cyprus to the USA—and has been enriched by the contributions of hundreds of participants.

Our custom-built camera and mobile darkroom allow participants to print a selected image from their phone onto a SIM-sized glass plate. They then hand-stamp a metal frame with an ID number that holds personal meaning, creating two versions: one to keep, and one to contribute to the travelling collection of unique ‘messages to the future.’

‘As an immigrant, I don’t really have roots, I have tendrils, which stretch to different places in the world where there are people I love’

Teacher, Argentina and Cyprus, 2022