Inside Za'atari|Starting over
Mostra di illustrazioni e fotografie
Fotografie di Agnes Montanari & Giovani rifugiati da Za’atari
Illustrazioni di Fabio Barilari
dal 27 maggio al 8 giugno 2017
Vernissage sabato 27 maggio alle ore 19,30
Ingresso libero
Info e visite: 3478248661 - wonderwallenter@gmail.com
Mostra presentata da Wonderwall Entertainment, Vitala Festival & Teatro San Genesio in collaborazione con Goethe-Institut
Il campo profughi di Za’atari in Giordania ha aperto nell’Agosto del 2012 ed ha accolto, ad oggi, fino a 130,000 rifugiati. Attualmente conta 80,000 persone di cui oltre la metà sono minorenni. Cosa significa per un adolescente lasciare il proprio paese, diventare un rifugiato e vivere in un campo con una vaga speranza di ritornare un giorno a casa propria? Può fare una differenza essere un maschio o una femmina? La fotografa documentarista Agnes Montanari ha incontrato Khaldiye, una ragazza di 17 anni, Yunis, un ragazzo di 18 anni e molti altri ancora, oltre tre anni fa, attraverso le classi di fotografia che lei teneva all’interno del campo.
Quando li ha conosciuti, i ragazzi erano appena arrivati a Za’atari. Durante questi tre anni, ne ha condiviso gioie e disillusioni, ha parlato a lungo con loro della vita prima dell'arrivo al campo, dei loro problemi, delle loro aspettative, ma soprattutto ne ha testimoniato la trasformazione.
Lasciare la Siria ha significato il collasso delle famiglie e dell’organizzazione sociale che ne consegue, scatenando una serie di conseguenze differenti per i ragazzi e per le ragazze rispetto al cambiamento di ruolo, all’accesso all’istruzione.
I valori sociali vengono messi in discussione e il desiderio di ritornare in Siria è stravolto. Inoltre, come sfondo alle storie personali di questi giovanissimi ragazzi e ragazze, c’è “il Campo”: la sua condizione al tempo stesso temporanea e permanente; la sua organizzazione, la sua dimensione, i suoi simboli, la vita di tutti i giorni al suo interno e le trasformazioni che sono avvenute nel corso degli anni.
A riprova di questo, nel 2013 Za'atari è diventata la quarta citta in Giordania, per estensione e numerosità della popolazione: una città nata dal nulla. Se la paragoniamo ad altre città mediorientali nate dal nulla, come Dubai o Abu Dhabi, sembrano somigliarsi per la velocità di sviluppo, per le implicazioni sociali e le conseguenze economiche.
Sembrano esempi complementari della città contemporanea e di modelli sociali, destinati probabilmente a moltiplicarsi negli anni a venire, verso un’organizzazione sociale internazionale, composta fondamentalmente da piramidi e capanne.
Questa mostra è dedicata a raccontare alcune di queste storie raccolte a Za’atari, con il fine di documentarle, di sensibilizzare e diffondere conoscenza su questa realtà.
La mostra, in parte presenta una selezione di fotografie di Agnes Montanari e dei suoi studenti di Za’atari, ovvero i giovani e aspiranti fotografi, ragazzi e ragazze che ha conosciuto e che hanno seguito le sue lezioni. In altra parte, presenta le illustrazioni dell’architetto e artista Fabio Barilari, che collabora da tempo con Agnes Montanari sul progetto congiunto di documentare le storie di questi ragazzi rifugiati, attraverso la combinazione di illustrazioni e fotografie. Un tandem di competenze e tecniche artistiche per raccontare le loro storie.
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Za’atari camp in Jordan opened in August 2012 and has welcomed, at time, up to 130,000 refugees. Presently, it counts 80,000 people of whom more than half are below 18 years old. What does it mean for a teenager to leave his/her country, to become a refugee and live in a camp with a vague hope to be able to return one day? Does being a boy or a girl make a difference? Documentary photographer Agnes Montanari met Khaldiye, a 17 years old girl, Yunis, an 18 years old boy and many others more than three years ago, through the photography classes that she taught in the camp.
When she first met them, they had just arrived in Za’atari. During three years, she shared their joys and disillusions, talked at length about their previous life, their problems, their expectations but most of all, witnessed their transformation. Leaving Syria has meant the collapse of the families and the social organization that goes with it, triggering a series of different consequences for the boys and the girls regarding the change of role, the access to education… Social values are being questioned, and the desire to go back to Syria shaken. Then, as a backdrop to the personal stories of these very young boys and girls, there is "the Camp": its condition temporary and permanent at the same time; its organization, its size, its symbols, the everyday life in it, and the transformations that occurred over the years.
As evidence of this, in 2013 Za'atari has become, the 4th city in Jordan, by extension and population: A city born from nothing. If we compare it to other middle‐eastern cities born from nothing, like Dubai or Abu Dhabi, they seem to resemble each other in their speed of development, social implications, economic consequences. They seem complementary examples of contemporary city and society models, destined probably to multiply in the coming years, towards an international social organization fundamentally composed of pyramids and huts.
In this exhibition, some of these stories are told and shared with the purpose of documenting and raising awareness. The exhibition is in part composed of photographs by Agnes Montanari and by her students at Za’atari, namely the young budding photographers, boys and girls whom she met and trained. In other part, the exhibition presents the illustrations of artist and architect Fabio Barilari who has been collaborating with Agnes Montanari on the joint project of documenting the stories of these young refugees, through the combination of illustration and photography. A tandem of artistic skills and means to communicate these stories and lives.
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Agnes Montanari
My career as a documentary photographer and media professional started with my first exhibition in New Delhi (India), ‘The City of Djinns’ in 2001. Since then, I have developed documentary and communication projects in various countries such as Serbia, Georgia, Bangladesh (‘Daughters are gold to their mothers’ documentary on the brothel of Daulotdia) and Yemen (‘Le Monde d’Aïcha’, graphic novel). My travels and professional experience has led me to focus on social and humanitarian issues pertaining to vulnerable groups e.g. displaced, young refugees, sex workers, migrants and minorities. For the past 3 years, I have taught photography to groups of vulnerable children and youth (Syrian refugees in Za’atari camp and Amman, Jordan).
http://agnesmontanari.photoshelter.com/#!/index
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Fabio Barilari
I am an architect, illustrator and painter.
As an architect, I am specialized in the study and design of complex architectural and
urban structures. The projects of Fabio Barilari Architetti studio have been awarded in national and international prizes and publications, and have been presented, among the others, at the Biennale of Venice (Venice, 2000) and the Biennale of Young European Artists of the Mediterranean (Rome, 1999). in May 2012 I have represented the Board of Architects of Rome at the 13th International Architectural Triennial in Sofia. The research developed in these different fields of work, have been presented for the first time in Aug 2011, on ABITARE, directed by Stefano Boeri. As an illustrator, I have collaborated with music and comic‐strips magazines such as “Follow That Dream” and “ANIMAls”. I am currently taking part in an illustration project financed by the Goethe‐Institut, illustrating the on‐going German program of developing and strengthening the system of public and private libraries of the country in their urban relation with the main German cities.
In January 2013 I presented the project "Il Senso delle Cose" in a personal and collective exhibition at Chiostro del Bramante Museum in Rome: I have held personal exhibitions in Germany, France, Spain, USA, China, Viet-Nam and Korea.
http://www.fabiobarilari.com/
http://fabio-barilari.blogspot.it/
Special thanks to Fabiana De Rose, Vitala Festival, Teatro San Genesio and to the Goethe-Institut for making this exhibition possible.
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FREE ADMISSION TO THE EXHIBITION
THE EXHIBITION WILL BE RUNNING UNTIL 8 JUNE 2017 and may be visited in the afternoon, by appointment or during the next scheduled events at Teatro San Genesio.
INFO: 347-8248661; wonderwallenter@gmail.com