The treatment of refugees has always been filled with complex issues and laws that seem to fog the instinctual nature of helping those in need. Art for Amnesty challenged us to create a piece that could address this topic during their exhibition “People on the Move” in Wynwood. To highlight this ever-growing problem we created a large 11 foot vortex like structure made of overlapping pages from encyclopedia books.

Upon entering the gallery, Art Bastion we provided each visitor with a vintage postcard to be used as a passport which contained a pre-determined seal granting or denying them access inside of the vortex. A guard was placed at the entrance to check each postcard and enforce the seal’s outcome. Many we turned away.

If allowed inside, the viewer will follow a tight winding path to the center of the vortex. There they will experience a view of broken glass surrounding them. This repeated broken image of once self is our view of the difficulties faced by refugees coping with a new country, new culture, new life or having to deal with the circumstances facing their own country with no means of escape.

We were awarded and able to finish this piece with the help of the Macktez Summer Stipend.