The exhibition is a response to Parwana Amiri—a teenage girl from Afghanistan—who arrived on the Greek island of Lesvos in 2019, in hopes of a safer and happier life. What she encountered in the seemingly safe haven of Europe was an overcrowded and underfunded refugee camp that had been, and continues to be, neglected by the European Union—despite the institutions' fundamental ideal of solidarity. Disillusioned but empowered nonetheless, Parwana took a pen and started writing about her experiences in the camp. In a series of letters and photographs, she documented the horrible conditions of a place designed to deter people from coming. The letters are written from her own and other refugees' perspectives, as she is just one of many people seeking peace, equality, happiness, safety, education, and freedom. What they encounter instead is "Fortress Europe."
Inspired by Parwana's journey from Afghanistan to Greece and her text "My Pen Won't Break, But Borders Will," the exhibition will tell stories of refuge, pursuit of happiness, misplacement, violence, and solidarity in various parts of the world. Some artists present refugees' hopes and aspirations as well as their own experiences with crossing borders, while others challenge the dichotomies between solidarity and nationalism or explore borders and migration from a race and gender perspective. The exhibition ultimately proves that a simple pen, brush, or click can break borders.
Inspired by Parwana's journey from Afghanistan to Greece and her text "My Pen Won't Break, But Borders Will," the exhibition will tell stories of refuge, pursuit of happiness, misplacement, violence, and solidarity in various parts of the world. Some artists present refugees' hopes and aspirations as well as their own experiences with crossing borders, while others challenge the dichotomies between solidarity and nationalism or explore borders and migration from a race and gender perspective. The exhibition ultimately proves that a simple pen, brush, or click can break borders.
Julia Hartmann (Vienna, Austria) is an art historian, writer, and independent curator who specializes in the intersection of social movements, digitization, and feminism.
