The pedestrian Protopapadaki Street that is very close to the place where the first refugee ships of the 19th century arrived in Syros, was the heart of the "Europass" artistic installation.
The artistic installation that was developed in the public space, on the most central and commercial pedestrian street in Ermoupolis, forced spectators to restrain, the audience was asked to enter "queues" and go through various trials (closed borders with ribbon strips and black adhesive tapes) in order to reach the "Land of Promise" at the points of video installation. They have lived the "mandatory" wait, the complexity of journeys, as millions of people are now moving around the globe and seeing the end of their journey being fearfully prolonged.
An exploration of our freedom to pass, transit, transfer from one situation to another. If “In the beginning was the movement” how do we feel when it is limited? Our movement is now suspected, interrupted from country to country, from one prejudice to the other, and no one longer wants to "wash the feet" of the stranger, the immigrant, the traveler without first asking his name. The installation was attended by the entire local community [residents and professionals].
Photos: Lila Kikarea, Aggeliki Kokolopoulou, Maria Rigania.
Co-organizers
Municipality of Syros Ermoupolis
South Aegean Region
