Project

Art can be a binding agent in cultures and communities. With 'My Home is your Home' I explored my role as an artist and facilitator in a socially participatory art project. Through workshops with artistically interested newcomers, I wanted to offer a platform where each participant could deepen their understanding of visual language with a focus on creating connection and collective reflection. Several years ago, I traveled to Iran multiple times for a photography project. Looking back on those journeys, what stands out most is the incredible hospitality. Every place I visited became a warm embrace of people who opened their homes and hearts. With 'My home is your home' I ask myself whether I open my home sufficiently to others. What do I give back to the world? Where do I extend my hand? In my job as a photographer, much revolves around individualism, tight deadlines, keeping up with the rat race. I felt a kind of social emptiness and set out to find ways to fill it. A first step was to enroll in the master's program 'Visual Arts in the Socio-Political Context' at Sint-Lucas. That's where my research into a possible participatory role as a photographer began. During this same research, I spoke with Fedasil and started giving weekly workshops to artistically interested newcomers. Later, a project week at De Connectie (Fameus) followed, where several participants from Fedasil continued their journey. De Connectie is a project of 'Fameus' that connects newcomers with artists within the amateur art field in Antwerp. Through photography workshops with artistically interested newcomers, I wanted to offer a platform where each participant could deepen their understanding of visual language. The focus was on creating connection and collective reflection within the workshop. Questions around identity were made visual through collages. Identifying commonalities and differences, from their surroundings, from shared experiences, were woven together and resulted in a group exhibition. An important part of the exhibition consists of collage portraits. Besides being a playful way to work with photography, it turned out to be a beautiful metaphor for the creation of identity. Don't we all, after all, consist of all kinds of puzzle pieces? We owe one piece to our genes, the next to our upbringing. We take something from family and friends, from habits in our home or our region. Some pieces are cultural in nature, or they come from the environment in which we grew up. Those who leave their home and have to start over elsewhere suddenly get all sorts of new pieces: a new environment, new language, new culture, new habits, etc. For newcomers, their identity is often an acute question.