No border in Graz->Artist in residence report from April 15th to May 15th, 2019.

It is always a question that remains clearly undefined, what are the nature and the reality of our experiences based on? One could say, without a doubt, it is a mixed result of our circumstances, environment, and social structures. Although, we are aware that it is also the way we interpret our experiences to some degree. Perhaps, we even judge our experiences and make certain decisions based on what we have learned in the past through social and cultural conditioning.

I came to Graz as “an artist in residence” without any other expectation other than to create an exhibition about borders. This exhibition was to share my documentary work and to show the reality of border consequences and its effect on refugees and migration. By surprise, it was also a parallel experience for me to further be aware of my own personal borders. Not only within my documentary but as well as within myself. Where do I choose to keep expanding my actions and choices? And when do I choose to draw the line based on my own limits and my moral values?

Despite the far right political climate in Austria, my impression of Graz and it´s atmosphere was not at all a reflection of it and even quite the opposite. Probably due to the small community and friends that welcomed me with open arms, with whom a common ground of the same humanitarian moral values are shared. This sense of community can be vital as a support for any humanitarian activism expressed through creative mediums such as art and documentation. As artists tend to explore and evolve within their own work, it is also vital to reevaluate, question and to be reminded of why what one does in his or her artistic work and approach is valuable. Even in my case, in what I document. I have to state that this artist in residence exactly gave that purpose.

For the first two weeks, an introduction to Graz and its cultural scene was prominent. Late nights of social interactions among many drinks were not only for pleasure but also for social observation and educational. Learning about the border history of Austria and Slovenia through friends led me further into the Styria region near the Slovenian border. There, I met families and friends living in the region during the Easter festivities. A community that seemed aware and sensible to the past and present consequences of its neighboring border with Slovenia. Several times, friends and local acquaintances shared with me that initially there was no border between Austria and Slovenia. From the first border division in 1919 during WWI, then it was taken away when the E.U came in place. The border was put back when the refugees from the middle east arrived in 2015. I have also seen the 3.7 km fence that was built in Spielfeld to restrain refugees from coming into Austria. To my outside and personal impression, it confirmed this obvious and repeating notion in human history of dividing each other's cultures with borders. Where is this notion coming from? and why is it still repeating itself today? What I can answer from my own past and current subjective observation is this notion of self-preservation. Although self-preservation is based on survival instincts which is a natural reaction. After all, this is why refugees try to reach Europe, a human survival instinct which we all share. Although I would argue that self-preservation by pushing away other cultures is not a survival instinct but primarily based on egoic fear of the other by wanting to preserve a sense of cultural identity. A fair conclusion can then be made that the fear of other cultures is essentially but not exclusively based on the history of our cultural and social conditioning. Another concern that it usually raises for a local population is the potential scarcity of not having enough resources for everyone. Although, this scarcity is not only based on the need for survival but also based on our own modern standards and tendencies of over-consumption in our western society. As well as the addictive pleasures we derive from these consumptions. These personal observations and conclusions made me ask these questions to myself once again: Purely based on moral humanistic values, could we have an E.U with an open border policy for the rest of the world? If so, should and could we as middle-class individuals from the E.U reevaluate our own current way of life to welcome others unconditionally? Would this really threaten our current social structure and sense of cultural identity in the long term? Is a person coming from a different cultural background for refuge or in economic need less important than our own needs? If not, as individuals, besides political choices what daily actions and choices in our everyday lives can we make to further align and nourish compassionate humanistic values with other cultures?

After talking to friends of friends about the history of the Styria region, the festivities went on by a giant fire as people got more intoxicated as the evening went one. While taking photographs, I was reflecting over the scene unrolling in front of my eyes, grown men teasing, hugging and kissing each other with great passion while arm wrestling. Although this may have only been my own interpretation, a hint of underlying general frustration was felt while yearning for genuine human connection. This made me reflect on our own inner barriers and the need to overcome them. Alcohol seems to be the internationally borderless substance to enter this temporary feeling of a liberated state. Unfortunately, as we all know and have experienced from too much drinking, it can bring us to total unconsciousness and even destruction at times. It seems to me to that too much drinking can be very exhilarating but it is also a clumsy attempt to feel a sense of connection with one another. I also have the impression that it´s usually derived from a temporary state of self-seeking pleasures by over-consuming.

Getting back to Graz to recover from this festivity required a hearty meal. The following day I stepped into a local Thai restaurant to order take out. First generation children from Thailand dressed in traditional clothing were playing in the restaurant. As I had my camera around my neck, one of the ladies who are part of the family-owned restaurant approaches me and says “ We are having a birthday party for the kids and we will do traditional dancing soon, would you like to take photos?”. To my surprise, I started to take photographs of the children getting prepared, makeup and flowers in their hair were put on them by the adults. When they were ready, traditional Thai music went on playing loudly in the restaurant. The three little girls started to perform a traditional dance as if they knew the songs by heart since they were born. Rewarded with ice cream after the dance, the children ran outside to explore and enjoy their treat. A dog sitting down on the sidewalk by the table where its owner is having his Thai meal draws the attention of the children. The dog is all of the sudden surrounded by the children who pet him, the owner smiles. As an older man walks by, one of the children grabs his hand innocently. A beautiful scene then comes together, first-generation children from a different culture, an older Austrian man, a young owner and his dog all enjoying a bonding moment together. To me, this particular scene symbolized this notion of no border and reminded me why I do this kind of documentary work, to begin with: To remind and bring people together through humanistic values we all share and have in common as humans of this world. As philosopher Daniel Engster succinctly says: “Caring is at the heart of human existence”. I would also add “compassion and empathy is the recognition of oneself in the other.”

As the third week went on preparation for the exhibition took most of my time. The selection of over 80 photographs had to be made and edited for printing, texts and translations had to be written and edited. The following Friday of that week I took a trip to Bosnia with Spendenkonvoi in Graz. This trip was to deliver donations such as clothes, medical care and other needs to refugees currently stranded at the Bosnia /Croatia border. When Nicola Baloch who also runs the Omega Center and Spendenkonvoi told me they were planning to go over to Bosnia for the weekend, (Thank you to my friend David Kranzelbinder who pushed me to go) I took the opportunity to come along and document the situation on the spot. After about 5 hours of driving, we arrived in Bihac to deliver the donations to two women who run a donation center for the refugees. These two following paragraphs are directly taken and translated from the original report we have made with Spendenkonvoi: The next day from our arrival, we visited one of the main camps there where there is a desolate former factory hall, into which large-capacity tents and containers were simply placed. Almost 2,000 people, mainly (young) men, currently use the camp but can leave it at any time. A few families are also housed separately because of the overcrowding of the other camps. Many young boys stand, sit or hang around in the hall, which offers no opportunity for integration or employment. For underage refugees, there is a small separate part, where one offers a little pastime such as painting or badminton. They either sleep in tents or almost “luxuriously” in containers, crammed together, zero privacy. Where the showers and toilets are very few for the total population and unsanitary.

Further north in the hills of Bosnia in a border town called Velika Kladusa, there is a similar situation as in Bihac. The situation on the ground is no better. About 1000 people supposedly are there without being officially in camps. At the center, local volunteers have built a small support structure together with international support. In one house is a donation shop which offers free clothes, shoes and a room for basic medical care. If there are enough donations available, they can give away these donations and care for about 200 to 300 people daily. In an old café in the upper part of the town refugees take shelter from the pouring rain while charging their self phone. Perhaps a cup of coffee to get some warmth before attempting to go back to the hills and try to cross over illegally to the Croatian border. -https:/spendenkonvoi.com/2019/05/07/bosnien-konvoi-mai-2019-bihac-velika-kladusa/

By the end of the trip, seeing these circumstances made me feel once again compassion and mostly empathy as in every trip I take to document these inhuman situations. As we drive back to Austria, from borders to borders, the authority takes a quick glance at our passport, without any restraint or being beaten we are free to head up north. As we were leaving behind the dark grey rainy Bosnian sky and head towards Austria where the sun happens to shine, it felt as if we were living hell to go to heaven. Once again, I reflect upon my own life and fortunate I am to be free, travel and live as I please. Having seen the situation and the reality on the ground of what these people have to endure just in the hope for a life of safety and prosperity just like mine; I have the uncomfortable notion that this is only unjustifiably determined by where I was born and geopolitics.

Back to Graz on a Monday evening, the following Wednesday I photographed a German class for local refugees run by the Omega Center. The opening exhibition of “The frontiers are my prison” at Pavelhaus was the following Friday. Further preparation and hanging took place on Thursday before the Vernissage. That evening arrived quickly and preparations were still ongoing until the very last minute. People slowly started to come and the introductory speech about each work of the 7 artists participating in the exhibition was made by David Kranzelbinder. As I was fortunate enough to occupy the entire upstairs space of the gallery, a retrospective of my documentary work from 2015 up until today about refugees, war and poverty victims were shown. David asked me to give my impressions of the Bosnia trip to the public. To my surprise, I gave a spontaneous speech that resumes the support and motivation I was given by my artist in residence stay in Graz “ It´s very important to keep showing and documenting (the refugee and migrant situation). Doing this kind of work is very hard over time and it´s emotionally draining but when you hear these people talking to you about their situation, it gives you energy back to keep going and try to break these barriers.”

I would like to especially give a thank you to Luise Grinschgl, Gerhard Gross, Richard Edelsbrunner and the rest of the team at kulturvermittlung for this opportunity and make it possible for me to show a retrospective of my documentary work about the refugees. As well to Nicola Baloch and Spendenkonvoi to make it possible for this trip to Bosnia and show the current situation of the refugees and migrants on the spot. I would also add a Thank you to and all my friends in Graz, David Kranzelbinder, Heinz Trenczak and Andreas Polegeg for the ongoing care & support.