“Migrationpapa”

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

Financial opportunities

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

Stairway

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

okra from Kenia and Surinam

Rotterdam -  Due to floods in Pakistan, the okra in the grocery store of the Sheikh family is now imported from Kenia and Surinam.…
Nies Medema – Migrationpapa

Girl in kitchen

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

Trying to control

Rotterdam -  many efforts have been made to get the situation under control in the Tarwewijk. In this street the government has put up signs saying: NO DOPE SMOKING  due to…
Lino Hellings – Migrationpapa

Patterns 2 Tarwewijk

Rotterdam -  Tensions are not necessarily bad. In fact they are good not bad I think. How to balance between the positive and the negative apsects of the rapid change in amounts…
Lino Hellings – Migrationpapa

Whatever

Sao Paulo -  If you come from China or Japan, whatever. “Liberdade” is a Migration-Brazilian neighborhood.…
Ines Correa – Migrationpapa

Back

Sao Paulo -  “Rua Mauá" used to be a street in “Cracolândia". It is close to “Estação da Luz” (train station and subway), and “Sala São Paulo” (one of the finest theaters -…
Ines Correa – Migrationpapa

Woman at local restaurant

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

Girl who wants to be a model

Dhaka -  This little girl insisted on being photographed and took on poses commonly associated with pin up girls. “She’s always poses in front of mobile cameras” says her dad.…
Shahidul Alam – Migrationpapa

The nightshop

Rotterdam -  The Dordtse Lane counts numerous small and bigger foodstores and restaurants. This shop is open all night. Unfortunately the owner was shot three weeks ago by a customer he chased…
Lino Hellings – Migrationpapa

Brazilian Bum

Sao Paulo -  This chinese born in Brazil lives in Liberdade. She’s adapted to the Brazilian way of life. When I was shooting, a brazilian man that was going through said to me:…
Ines Correa – Migrationpapa

Arthur the daily paper man

Rotterdam -  Athur cannot walk but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t make himself usefull. Every morning he gets up at 5 . Collects the free newspapers in the metro station. The minibusses with…
Lino Hellings – Migrationpapa

Beamed exhibition

Rotterdam -  Our work was shown on location for six weeks from the end of November 2010 till half January 2011. Sandra Smets, art critic in NRC newspaper Cultural Supplement…
Lino Hellings – Migrationpapa

Lokman with cobra

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

Mobile Work

Sao Paulo -  This woman came from Equador. She sells scarves in Liberdade, a neighborhood of Chinese and Japanese people. She doesn’t speak portuguese and didn’t understand my questions in english as well…
Ines Correa – Migrationpapa

Patterns 3 Tarwewijk

Rotterdam -  The state and the civilian both do put great effort in exploring ways to improve the conditions for living. Sometimes succesfull, many times not so much. To many rules and…
Lino Hellings – Migrationpapa

protest

Sao Paulo -  Detail from the front door of the block of flats where the MST – Movimento dos Sem Teto/ Homeless Movement Downtown São Paulo is hosted. Homeless people struggling to obtain…
Ines Correa – Migrationpapa

Day off or not

Sao Paulo -  Day off, or not. There are millions unemployed people in Sao Paulo streets.…
Ines Correa – Migrationpapa

Rickshaws in Garage

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

When we wake up

Sao Paulo -  These houses are protected until now. Sometimes when we wake up, they are not there anymore. They have beem removed, demolished.…
Ines Correa – Migrationpapa

barbershop and tailor in one

Rotterdam -  There are many shops in shops. That keeps the costs low for everyone. Some of the owners sit, talk and drink Fanta and Cola at the end of the day…
Lino Hellings – Migrationpapa

Bridalshop

Rotterdam -  This shop sells outfits for Hindu weddings. The bride, groom and guests can buy their dresses, jewellery, shoes and handbags in this colourful shop. There is a wide variety of…
Lino Hellings – Migrationpapa

The original

Sao Paulo -  When we go through Liberdade, we don’t know who is chinese or japanese. They are brazilian now. It’s so mixed! And so different from “the original\".…
Ines Correa – Migrationpapa