“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

Harbour

Rotterdam -  Some grain ware houses have been renovated and are used as discotheques or apartment buildings now, this one in Maashaven is still functioning.…
Nies Medema – Migrationpapa

Rickshaw silhouette

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

Young entrepreneurs 2

Rotterdam -  Sanne Luijben graduated from art school in 2009. From the south she moved to Tarwewijk. Sanne likes Tarwewijk because of its international atmosphere. Houses are cheap too. She recently had…
Nies Medema – 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

Separatism

Rotterdam -  In the back you see Arthur the paperman. Here the builders gather. When there are around ten the minibus leaves. What is the job you are going to do I…
Lino Hellings – Migrationpapa

Mexicantown

Detroit -  A house in Mexican town, Southwest Detroit caught  fire. Fires are daily occurrences in the city because of poverty, old electric wiring, insurance motivated arsons or lack of caution…
Marcin Szczepanski – Migrationpapa

Words and public space 2

Rotterdam -  This may be the weirdest sign I have ever seen in our Rotterdam ‘Attempts to regulate with written words-collection’ so far. It is put on a window of an empty…
Nies Medema – 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

Empty houses turned into art

Detroit -  Empty houses have been turned into art installations. Heidelberg Project is the most well known example of urban art in Detroit inspired by socio-economic issues prevalent in the city. A…
Marcin Szczepanski – Migrationpapa

tradition 1

Rotterdam -  Traditional Dutch churches and believers are becoming extinct species. This is a spire of a former reformed church in Tarwewijk. It is now the home of a church called Victory…
Nies Medema – 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

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

Rickshaw Walla and Daughter

Dhaka -  A rickshaw walla with his baby girl. While it is difficult to make ends meet with what one earns pulling a rickshaw. Once children are born, it becomes more difficult…
Shahidul Alam – Migrationpapa

Rickshaw Walla

Dhaka -  Most male migrants who come into from villages have skills like farming…
Shahidul Alam – Migrationpapa

Urban Farming 1

Detroit -  Son 5, and his mom, 24 visit chickens at a community garden off Martin Luther King and Trumbull in Detroit. One third of the Detroit land sits empty and possibilities…
Marcin Szczepanski – Migrationpapa

Rickshaw van

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

The Streetfactory

Rotterdam -  Who are we?De boys of De Straatfabriek explain:Bebito:This is THE way to keep me of the street. I do learn a lot as well, like wood…
Lino Hellings – Migrationpapa

Inside

Detroit -  Inside of a burned down house on Michigan Ave. in Detroit. Michigan Ave. used to be one of the most commercially viable parts of the city due to a large…
Marcin Szczepanski – Migrationpapa

Taking a break

Rotterdam -  A lot of effort has been made to improve the neighbourhood. Especially drugs abuse and criminality connected to that gave the Tarwewijk a very bad reputation. Streets with rows of…
Lino Hellings – Migrationpapa

His dream

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

Return to the Tarwewijk

Rotterdam -  Cycling through the Tarwewijk in the dark I start to recognize people and they start to recognize me. Margot, a slim lady asking for money, being homeless. In fact she…
Lino Hellings – Migrationpapa

Polski Sklep2

Rotterdam -  Every few other days the shopowner drives 850 from Rotterdam to Poland to buy the meat, vegetables and other Polish groceries. The shop closes at ten in the evening. When…
Lino Hellings – Migrationpapa

tradition 2

Rotterdam -  Two towers on a 200 square meter play ground. It’s 4 pm, there is not one child playing. In Dutch cities, there are many of these so called Playground Associations…
Nies Medema – Migrationpapa

money transfer shop

Rotterdam -  This is one of many money transfer shops in Tarwewijk. Since many Tarwewijkers want to send money home to their family, this is the perfect neighborhood to start a business…
Nies Medema – Migrationpapa