While the global refugee crises often allows little room for optimism, this exhibition nonetheless sets down a strong statement in hope of positively influencing the negative narrative about refugees and migrants, making these ‘strangers’ visible.
The curators of the exhibition, Nicolas Iordanou, photographer and Sylvia Nicolaides, filmmaker.
UNHCR Cyprus had the pleasure of speaking with Nicolas Iordanou and Sylvia Nicolaides, curators of the photography exhibition The Alien Trail that was being hosted at the Old Powerhouse in Paphos, as part of the European Capital of Culture – Paphos 2017 programme.
Brainchild of Nicolas, who also participated in the exhibition with his own photographs, the exhibition displays a point of view that expresses profound depth of thought and care. While the global refugee crises often allows little room for optimism, the exhibition nonetheless sets down a strong statement in hope of positively influencing the negative narrative about refugees and migrants.
The purpose of the exhibition is to make these ‘strangers’ visible. “First we must realise that these people live among us and get to know them so that we can move on to the next stage, which is acceptance and integration,” Nicolas says. “People may be aware that refugees and migrants live among us, but they do not know them. We had many visitors who were clearly moved by the photos, asking us where the photos were taken. You should have seen their surprise when we told them that all the photos are from Cyprus, 70% from Paphos and the rest from Nicosia, Limassol and Kofinou,” Sylvia adds. With her studies in education, fine arts and cinema, Sylvia eventually followed ‘her call,’ and works together with Nicolas making documentaries on social issues. Nicolas has been a friend of UNHCR for many years; having studied photography and worked in conflict zones, he contributed to a photographic exhibition of UNHCR Cyprus in 2008. Ten years on he leads The Alien Trail, as part of his hometown’s year as European Capital of Culture. In addition to the photographic exhibition, The Alien Trail project consists of a series of youth film workshops and a documentary coming up in December, telling the story of the project.
Nicolas’ companions on The Alien Trail have been three internationally renowned photographers from Magnum Photos – Nikos Economopoulos, Antoine d’Agata and Bieke Depoorter – and Sylvia, with whom they curated this striking exhibition. The works show how differently the subject was approached by each photographer. Nikos Economopoulos visited the Kofinou Reception Centre, walked on the streets frequented by refugees and immigrants, talked with them and photographed aspects of their lives.
Antoine d’Agata, also spent time at the Kofinou Reception Centre, as well as on the streets frequented by refugees and migrants. With far less personal portraits of individuals, Antoine chose a more abstract approach to highlight their invisibility in society and their lack of identity. “There are almost no faces in his photos,” notes Nicolas.
Bieke Depoorter photographed refugee families mainly from Syria. “She was hosted for a few days by refugee families living in Paphos and was able to capture intimate moments from family life, moments we would not have otherwise known,” Sylvia says.
Nicolas, with a more news-based approach to photography, followed Saddam, a Syrian refugee living in Paphos. Saddam is the protagonist of Nicolas’ entire series, giving us a portrait of Saddam’s life here in Cyprus – his family, his friends, his work, his home, his surroundings.
Why is The Alien Trail significant?
The photos allow viewers to make their own “free interpretation” says Nicolas. All the photos highlight the obvious, of which we still often need reminding. “We are all the same, as you have your family, as you take your children in the park, so do refugees and migrants. We have no single difference that can justify the rupture of society between ‘us’ and ‘them,’ as refugees and migrants are often categorised.”
“You see that at the end of the day human needs are the same for all people – safety, health, family, being well … It makes no difference where you from, are or which religion you are,” Sylvia adds.
At the same time, however, we must not forget the notable difference. Refugees are people who have lost their loved ones, their homes, their jobs, their lives as they knew it. “This difference is precisely what should make us more open,” says Nicolas, and explains:
“When Saddam left Syria to seek safety for himself and his family, he was forced to leave his pregnant wife behind. He saw her again in Cyprus after four years, together with his daughter Hala, whom he had not known since she was born. It took four years to manage to reunite his family in Cyprus, after much perseverance and patience. Today they are a loving family, but when Hala first came to Cyprus she did not see Saddam as her father; she wanted to go back to Syria to be with Saddam’s brother, who she had considered to be her father until then.”
Hala is not like other children, Nicolas adds. “She doesn’t talk about her toys and dolls, but about bombs, people who have passed away, and many more traumas she has witnessed.”
Sahar’s story, a Palestinian teacher who we met at the Refugee Reception Centre, is also shocking. “Sahar lived in Syria in Yarmouk until the war overturned her happy, everyday life. She told us that her brother was beheaded because he did not want to take part in a war that would require him to kill his fellow citizens. They placed his head in front of his family’s home…”
The photo exhibition has had the highest number of visitors from all the Paphos 2017 exhibitions. Many were moved, but there were many others who were not convinced of the challenges refugees face. “There are many who believe that Cyprus is a paradise for refugees and that they all live here with social assistance, which is clearly not the case,” Nicolas notes.
“We know refugees who do two and three jobs just to survive,” the curators said.
“But the problem lies in the fact that they are not given the chance to flourish in their new homeland. For example, Saddam lives in the same block of flats as other Syrians, and explained that many of his neighbours and friends from Syria are highly educated professionals, such as doctors, accountants and scientists, and yet ended up working on construction sites.
The importance of the exhibition has also been recognised by the refugee community as well. “They opened their homes and their hearts to us, because they trusted our intentions, and because they themselves had the need to somehow reach out and communicate with the local community,” the artists said.
However, the protagonists did not come to the inauguration. “It makes me sad, but I understand them. They did not want to be the focus of interest, and perhaps they did not want to be stigmatised,” Nicolas says.
A single exhibition cannot change social perceptions. “We do what we do because this is what we love, and we are not able to do anything else. It is our hope that our work will impact others,” Nicolas says. It takes a lot of work at different levels to break down stereotypes and prejudices, and create conditions for the integration of refugees into Cypriot society.
But following The Alien Trail, getting to know refugees and migrants, is a step towards integration. It provides at least a springboard for a dialogue on integration, diversity and accepting them as equal members of our society.
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