Globe’s encounters and the art of rolling: home, migration and belonging

This article explores the multiple and multifarious encounters of and with Globe, a 1-metre-diameter copper spherical sculpture hosting four cameras that has been rolled by the artist Janetka Platun and others in London, Shrewsbury and Delhi. Situating Globe in relation to Janetka’s art practice and the wider ‘art of rolling’, and extending broader debates about globality, encounter and relational aesthetics, the article argues that Globe’s journeys generated ‘meaningful content’ beyond an aesthetic moment of interaction by inspiring people to share stories, ideas and reflections on home, migration and belonging through their encounters with her. Globe’s encounters were inspired by curiosity, often sparked by her materiality, mobility and ‘globe-ness’. Rather than merely act as a prompt for people to reflect on home, migration and belonging, Globe has also been marked by her own journeys and encounters, reflecting their unpredictable and often transformative nature.