Shipwreck at the Threshold of Europe
Editorial
The EU's handling of migrants and refugees has been a perpetual failure. As European citizens, we are fed a distorted glimpse of their journeys by the media to avoid the risk of encouraging us to empathize and take real action. We can’t accept their truth and must demand accountability and action. This essay serves as a reminder of what is concealed from us.
The scenery depicted in the book was created through our own performance. During the process of crafting this environment, the screen played a prominent role. We captured panoramic shots of a TV screen, resulting in images that emerged from the interplay of two machines. This interaction produced an altered reflection of images from one screen onto another. However, the performative aspect was vital to our essay, as it allows us, the designers, to play an active role. We remain silent to avoid overshadowing the experiences of migrants and refugees, but we are present.
Finally, we would like to address Amel Alzakout’s Purple Sea. This movie has had a tremendous effect in our essay, as it is a genuine, firsthand account of refugee crisis. Alzakout takes her own undistilled narrative into her own hands and shares it with the world in her own terms — it’s the nauseating truth we’re kept from but must be exposed to for real action to take place. Additionally, Forensic Architecture’s investigation is also of special notice. In our reality, their work has become a necessity as the information we receive from official sources is too often a farce, and the truth is a relic we can’t take for granted.
