Migration is at the forefront of the political discourse like never before, and rarely in a good way. From violent ICE raids in the US and the UK’s seemingly endless series of race riots to Israel’s genocidal attacks on Gaza and Lebanon, which have displaced millions of people from their homes, migrants and refugees have become the targets of intense hostility, suspicion and violence. While this is hardly a new phenomenon, it’s one which has been exacerbated by far-right agitators like Elon Musk and Tommy Robinson, their growing base of supporters, and the politicians across the political spectrum eager to appease them, whether out of cowardice or agreement. It is a fitting time, then, for the publication of for the fourth volume of The Road to Nowhere, a magazine founded by writer and curator Dalia Al-Dujaili, which celebrates migrant cultures around the world and spotlights some of the very best diasporic artists at work today.

By the time the last volume of The Road to Nowhere was published, in 2023, Al-Dujaili had begun to question whether the project was still necessary; conversations around diasporic culture seemed so prevalent and she felt that most people were broadly aware of the issues migrants which face. “But in the last few years, I’ve realised that a lot of people are still new to these conversations, and that London is actually really far ahead”. When she travelled to cities like Paris and New York, she felt there was a particular appetite for a project like The Road to Nowhere. Added to that, political events around the world – from Gaza to the US’s illegal invasion of Venezuela earlier this year – lent the subject a new urgency. “I realised that if I’m going to talk about these issues, now is the time to do so more than ever before.”

This feeling was exacerbated by the political climate in both the US and the UK, where Al-Dujaili was born and raised. “What I’ve seen happening in recent years with these so-called ‘protests’ that are actually race riots has been really disappointing. I was disappointed by the fact that these people felt their identity was being attacked, or like they were losing something precious to them, when in fact being British means welcoming people from all parts of the world – Britain is a mosaic of so many different cultures.” It was disheartening too, she adds, to see “people in power not doing much about it either, and not making any effort to change the narrative.” 

During this rising tide of racism and xenophobia, one thing that has made her feel hopeful is the artists who have used their work to speak out. “That motivated me even more with this volume, because so many people have something to say and it’s spurred on by a kind of rage,” she says. “I always feel like rage is such a powerful emotion, when you can translate it into something loving and celebratory, into something that pushes back in a way that makes a difference, rather than just being angry for the sake of being angry.”

While the curation of The Road to Nowhere may have been spurred on by feelings of anger, the work inside captures a much broader range of emotions and experiences, and most of it isn’t political in a direct, sloganeering sense. The magazine is, among other things, a highly considered design project, created in collaboration with Milan’s CRSL Carosello Lab and published with three different (and equally striking) covers.

One of them features an image of a wrestler by Salvadorian-Mexican photographer Thalia Gochez, who is based in LA. “I’ve always been really impressed by how she works,” says Al-Dujaili. “Her work is visually stunning, but more than that, she makes sure that whenever she does a project or works with a brand, she makes sure that most of the people behind or in front of the camera are from her community, meaning that she’s not just creating beautiful visuals but she’s actually materially helping the people in her community by offering resources, getting them paid by brands and offering them credits on projects.”

There’s a cover by Wesaam Al-Badry, an Iraqi American photographer who “does a lot of social documentary, but in a really interesting, artistic way”, says Al-Dujaili, and another by Adam Lin, a Taiwanese photographer who currently lives in London. “He’s recently been doing so much incredible work and winning all these awards, and I just wanted to tap into his work at a pivotal point in his career; he’s not totally emerging but he hasn’t been established for years either, which I think is an exciting time to be working with an artist.” The Road to Nowhere aims to work with artists who don’t already have a big platform, many of whom will be seeing their work in print for the first time, but there is a real mixture: early careers artists sit alongside some huge names, including the novelist and poet Ocean Vuong.

While there is a strong focus on photography (and the collection of photographs in the volume is truly stellar), Al-Dujaili’s other interests began to bleed into the magazine. It features graphic designers and fine artists, including Sarah Elawad, a Sudanese-British artist who is currently based in New York and last year worked on Zohran Mamdani’s mayoral campaign. “She makes these crazy, kitsch Islamic graphic videos, like the kind that Arab aunties might share between themselves on WhatsApp on holy days and celebrations,” Al-Dujaili says. There is also the ceramicist Hannah Lim, a Singaporean-British ceramist whose work takes inspiration from Chinoiserie, an 18th century trend where Chinese aesthetics were appropriated and adapted for the sensibilities of a European audience. Alongside the visual art works, there is a range of essays and interviews, all of which reflect on some aspect of the diasporic experience. 

As with previous editions, the magazine will be donating a portion of the profits to a charity: this year, it’s the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA), a non-profit in LA which supports people who have crossed the border from Latin and Central America into the US, for instance by helping them with legal fees. Al-Dujaili wanted to commemorate the people who have lost their lives crossing the US border in the last year – which has become more dangerous than ever – and honour the people tirelessly working to help those who make it across. “When we talk about activism, I feel like it’s always the loud activism that gets the most attention: the protesting on the streets, the signs and the picket lines”, Al-Dujaili says. “That’s important, too, but what’s often underappreciated is the more boring, unsexy, underpaid work that no one really sees day to day.”

The Road to Nowhere will have several launch events. The first takes place tonight (June 10) at Jumbi Peckham, London and will involve a panel discussion between Deepa Hekmat, a Kurdish-British actress; Hannah Lim, the ceramicist featured in the issue; the chef Rahel Stephanie, and curator Nate Agbetu, along with a DJ set by Vanessa Maria. There will be another launch in Paris on June 26, and event in New York later in this year.