Participating Artists Press Agency
“Migrationpapa”
Saturday 25th of June 2022 – page 4
On a Monday morning in November 2010, six photographers in five cities around the world take their cameras to urban neighbourhoods where newcomers arrive. The photos flow into the PAPA website like a wave moving around the world. First from Bangladesh, five hours later from Rotterdam and Lagos – cities in the same time zone. Detroit and São Paulo complete the group another seven hours later. From the first week the photos and captions were projected on the windows of the cultural centre at the entrance to the neighbourhood in Rotterdam. The same will happen in other cities. In this way the inhabitants of the various newcomers neighbourhoods not only get a fresh perspective on their own lives but they also get to see how newcomers in other cities live. Migrationpapa is a PAPA project for Kosmopolis Rotterdam with the generous support of Hivos
Saturday 6th of November 2010
Lagos -
A young migrant from northern Nigeria hanging around in heavy traffic in Lagos to clean dirty windows for cash. In less than one hour he earns as much a 50…
Andrew Esiebo –
Migrationpapa
Dhaka -
As children we used to talk about Italian Saloons (‘It’ is a brick in Bangla, so these were saloons where you sat on roadside bricks). We also had Mongolian Saloons…
Shahidul Alam –
Migrationpapa
Dhaka -
Photo studios are generally adorned with pin up of popular movie stars. Often clients request to be photographed as their favourite star. The studio generally has a full complement of…
Shahidul Alam –
Migrationpapa
Lagos -
Mr Lawal from Katsina on his commercial motor bikes also known as Okada awaiting passenger in Onike, another migrant community in Lagos. He left his family after hearing many stories…
Andrew Esiebo –
Migrationpapa
Rotterdam -
When I arrive in the Tarwewijk early in the morning I see groups of dark hooded men standing in the cold under the flyover from the metro station Maashaven. They…
Lino Hellings –
Migrationpapa
Dhaka -
The ‘services’ required by the community include entertainment and medical support. The snake charmer provides both. While people like to watch the dance of the snakes, the charmer, Lokman also…
Shahidul Alam –
Migrationpapa
Dhaka -
Children need to become productive at a very early age and take on many adult roles. Every member of the family, beyond a certain age has to work to keep…
Shahidul Alam –
Migrationpapa
Dhaka -
Rickshaw owners keep their own rickshaws in the garage for safety. They also let out the place for others who do not have enough rickshaws/rickshaw vans, to justify a garage…
Shahidul Alam –
Migrationpapa
Dhaka -
Much of the land on either side of the Beri Bandh embankment used to be a swamp, and most homes are built on stilts. The refuse from nearby tanneries and…
Shahidul Alam –
Migrationpapa
Lagos -
Young boys sitting on of the many commercial motor bikes also known as Okada became visible on the road in Lagos as community transportation has now come to be one…
Andrew Esiebo –
Migrationpapa
Dhaka -
TThe shop used to be in nearby Dhanmondi, a more upmarket location. They didn’t need to pay rent for the roadside stall, but had to bribe the police 100 Taka…
Shahidul Alam –
Migrationpapa
Rotterdam -
At the hairdresser in Dordtselaan a poster is displayed. It says: ‘ I will act when I witness a violent situation in the street.'The poster was published by the…
Nies Medema –
Migrationpapa
Rotterdam -
Two balconies in pensioners home ‘ Harmonie’ (Harmony). One with a Dutch flag, the other with a satellite dish, allowing her to watch TV shows from all over the world…
Nies Medema –
Migrationpapa
Dhaka -
A narrow wooden stairway takes people to the upper floor of the two storied accommodation in Sadek City Model Town. The rooms do not have windows so the upper rooms…
Shahidul Alam –
Migrationpapa
Lagos -
Andrew Peji, arrived Lagos twenty years ago from Republic of Benin as a cook for the Military in Nigeria. Currently secretary of the Union of the commercial Tricycle motor bike…
Andrew Esiebo –
Migrationpapa
Lagos -
Aliyu Lawal arrived Lagos from Katsina two years ago. He got movitated to come to Lagos having seen many of his family members doing business in Lagos. When he attempted…
Andrew Esiebo –
Migrationpapa
Dhaka -
Most male migrants who come into from villages have skills like farming and fishing, which are not useful in the city. They initially work as rickshaw drivers or labourers. Rickshaw…
Shahidul Alam –
Migrationpapa
Rotterdam -
As soon as the evening falls around five the traffic lights, streetlamps and shopwindows add colour to the grey public space. People come home from work and school and go…
Lino Hellings –
Migrationpapa
Rotterdam -
In many shop windows in Dordtselaan, like this Islamic Surinam butcher, a poster on violence and safety is displayed. It suggests that we all should act when witnessing violence.According…
Nies Medema –
Migrationpapa
Lagos -
A mobile herbal medicine products at Obalende, Lagos- a migrant community area of Lagos. For those who cannot afford going to the orthodox medical care herbal medince is fast becoming…
Andrew Esiebo –
Migrationpapa
Dhaka -
The precision required in placing the fragile clay pots is difficult to gauge. Once each circle of pots is in position, the men tap the pots to hear for any…
Shahidul Alam –
Migrationpapa
Rotterdam -
To my surprise, the Chinese poet Bei Dao (now living in Danmark, is quoted on a garbage truck. It says: ‘ The source dries out, the fire rages, the road…
Nies Medema –
Migrationpapa
Dhaka -
Looking into the sun from the rickshaw garage. Rickshaws get regularly ‘stolen’ and the garage is notified. Once they pay the protection money, they are told where they can pick…
Shahidul Alam –
Migrationpapa
Dhaka -
Rickshaw wallas are very proud of their rickshaws and most rickshaws are brightly decorated. But with times getting more difficult, there are fewer adornments, and hand painted decorations are being…
Shahidul Alam –
Migrationpapa