VVest Life 03 at EINE STRASSE: Future of City Centers
ZK/U & KUNSTrePUBLIK in Düsseldorf
During the refugee and migration wave of 2015/2016, there was widespread understanding of its causes, and support and aid were abundant. Today, many political representatives are vocally demanding a more restrictive asylum policy. Meanwhile, the situation of those embarking on the perilous journey to Europe continues to deteriorate. At the European borders, they face human rights violations and harsh exclusionary measures.
The work "VVest Life," created in 2016, serves as a reminder of the multitude of refugees risking their lives in search of a humane and livable future. It provides a framework, a stage, and a sphere of action that connects the past sentiment of "We can do it" with the current status quo of a "Fortress Europe" and offers critical reflection.
The basic shape of the tent is derived from the stars of the EU flag. The life jackets that form the tent's skin are collected remnants from crossings in the European Mediterranean at the EU's external borders. They serve as traumatic evidence of the war- and disaster-induced global migration movements of our time.
In discussions and events, questions about the self-referential nature of our aid and other challenges in the context of increasing migration against the backdrop of climate change and global injustice are to be explored.
VVest Life 03 was created at the invitation of Markus Ambach for EINE STRASSE: Future of City Centers using the example of Graf-Adolf-Straße.