„We wanted workers but we got people.“ (Max Frisch, 1965)
In several waves, between 1950 and 1980 a huge stream of migrants surged from southern Europe (Spain, Portugal, Greece, Italy…) to Northern and Central Europe (France, Germany, Great Britain, Belgium ….).
TOET - „The Other European Travellers“, is an exhibition project in which the experiences of European migrants and their families are documented and interpreted using artistic and documentary approaches.
These migrants had to leave home disillusioned by poverty and start a new life in foreign countries and cultures similar to the young people from southern Europe that are moving north again since the last financial crisis of 2008.
The aim of this exhibition project is to collect and preserve the common and personal experiences and memoirs of those migrants, that were key figures in the process of the creation of modern Europe and the European community. This exhibition shall become an artistic and historical archive for future generations of Europeans.
14 photographers from 9 countries have contributed their work to this projects, most of them personally involved through their family history:
Albert Grondahl, Alberto Rojas Maza, Erika Vancouver, Henrik Malmstrom, Lara Mazagatos, Lucy Levene, Paula Cabrera, Paulo Freitas, Samuel Gratapac, Stefano Piamontese, Tereza Zelenkova, Virgilio Ferreira, Yedra Vargas, Antonio Pérez.
They dealt with public and private archives or created new bodies of work referring to oral or written history.
They were supported by international experts like Jeffrey Silverthorne, Emily Adams, Antoine d’Agata, Patrick Zachmann, Simon Baker, Bruno le Dantec, Brad Feuerhelm, Christian Caujolle, Rafael Garido.
The first venues of the exhibition were Sevilla (Spain), Porto (Portugal) and London (UK).
More than 100 works in various sizes (all framed and exhibition ready) can be presented in future exhibitions. The exhibition can be adapted for each venue concerning size and content.
Space needed approx 60-80 wallmeters.
Loan conditions and availabilities upon request.