From Here to There

Live Action 11, 10th September 2017 

Lejontrappan Goteburg ,Sweden
Last Day of performance Festival 

This performance was performed at canal side where boats come in, although this canal is used as tourist Spot, but in the past I think it would have used as entry point at Lejontrappan Goteborg. I choose this spot deliberately since these acts as a situation for my audiences. Acting as entry point for refugees to come in boats with life jackets, refugees who have lost their homes left their country and survived to reach one of these European countries. This performance was a subtle act about concern related to migrations. I wanted to see how receptivity and acceptability of refugees by local Population, I could see in their eyes when they thought I am one of migratory/refugee, asking for help and they started ignoring my work and me. My performance started in other side of the road where lot of pigeons comes for food and hence they left lot of feathers as I was mentally preparing for my performance. I collected many feathers from the spot and after some time I moved to other side toward the river where boats come in. 

I started building small dream home first from the feathers as base and on top pasting plastic toy homes which are colorful. I moved to the spots near boat and people were lining up for entry in boat. I could see the reaction from people they did not want to have eye contacts I felt some doubt in their eyes I was also wearing belt which looked like refugee or police Suit. Slowly back to position and started building home and which was tied to my head and I was carving Chalk piece which replicated like destroyed home from Syria and also tired to give away cards which had images of this broken home and destroyed city and people the general public who were lining up were avoiding me then few came to me and asked as I tried to give card with image of this dilapidated building and home they just did not want to accept. 

I was trying to read their mind may be they don’t like refugees coming or they did not want to give spaces and very clearly it was showing up they were not happy about lot of people migrating to their country the acceptability is not so easy they feel lot of insecurity about migrating people coming to their city.Then my act unfolded with floating the feather and dream homes in water this was in hope people in far off land will see and will give them some space for migrating population who have lost their home in their country. 

Dimple B Shah 20 April 2017

Photo by Chuyia Chia