“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

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

Once a stable street

Detroit -  A Latino man talks on the phone while looking at the house of his sister in Mexicantown that is engulfed in flames. Fires are daily occurrences in the city due…
Marcin Szczepanski – 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 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

Resistance 2

Sao Paulo -  Building dominated by the MST, a homeless movement. The companies want to “revitalize", in other words, buy the old buildings to make modern buildings.…
Ines Correa – 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

Feijenoord

Rotterdam -  In the distance we see the Football stadion of Feijenoord on a sunday evening(afternoon). In the front we see the Tarwewijk’s main traffic vein: de Dordtse laan. You cannot imagine…
Lino Hellings – Migrationpapa

Barbershop

Rotterdam -  In the Tarwewijk I do see many barbershops too. So many cultures, so many different kinds of hair and hairstyles do explain the amount of shops. But like in Lagos…
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

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

Patterns 1 Tarwewijk

Rotterdam -  The neighbourhood has a bad name despite the enormous efforts done by the city council to renovate the area. Because of the bad name the houses do not sell and…
Lino Hellings – Migrationpapa

Bad news need to be told

Rotterdam -  The new policy of the authorities is not to report anymore about the bad things that happen in the Tarwewijk. Radiomaker and DJ Eric does not agree. Bad news and…
Lino Hellings – 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

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

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

“Catadores”

Sao Paulo -  Change always happens, the hard or soft way. Learn of that that’s what you need to think about.…
Ines Correa – Migrationpapa

Pattern 4 Tarwewijk

Rotterdam -  An attempt to get it all into one picture, the tensions between the state and the civilian and between the individual and the collective/community.…
Lino Hellings – Migrationpapa

Day off

Sao Paulo -  If it’s your day off, it’s time to go shopping or if you prefer you can go to a museum or a gallery. You can also just walk the dog…
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

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

Barbershop

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

The workers

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

Whatever

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

Kapsalon Halal Specialist

Rotterdam -  The text on the window puzzled me. Kapsalon (Barbershop) Halal specialist? How on earth can yo combine a kapsalon/barbershop with a snackbar for shoarma, pizzas and other specialities? I knew…
Lino Hellings – Migrationpapa