“The Good Life” is not a place, but a way..., 2022
“The Good Life” is not a place, but a way, 2022
pencil on paper
50 x 70 cm
Refugees have to undergo a complex asylum procedure in Germany. The permanent settlement permit can be granted after five years. In order to get to this point, refugees have to submit follow-up applications and undergo the asylum procedure several times. Refugees whose initial or subsequent applications are rejected must leave Germany. During this time, they wait, fearing deportation, aware of their scarce chances to start a real life in Germany.
My project is to realize large format hyper realistic drawings with graphite pencils copying real permits of stay from refugees of different origins in the current status of their legalization process. Near each drawing a short text will describe their trajectory and the number of years since their life is suspended.
The long and patient making of the drawings mimics the amount of wasted time refugees (uselessly) wait for their visa, creating an artistic parallel with their reality.
