For Clara by Anders Birger - part of BEAF Arts Festival

About

‘For Clara’ is shaped as a letter to the future. A travelling pop-up van exhibition, that presents a time capsule, containing stories, images, video and writing, that is addressed to Anders’ imaginary great great granddaughter. Large parts of the work was created in collaboration with Nora, Anders’ daughter who is nine  years old. It is their attempt to imagine a future where their descendant, Clara, finds herself living as a migrant.

The work consists of real and imagined stories, as well as documentary photography shot across Europe throughout the past ten years, from border regions but also from events as well as historical places. Anders wants to present an alternative reality, stepping away from the classic type of documentary photography and photo journalism that shows the lives of people affected at their most vulnerable. Instead by creating space and reflecting on migration and the treatment of migrants living on the borders of, as well as inside, Europe that is happening today. Anders’ work creates stories that works against the notion of ‘us and them’ and instead shows that, if we go back or forward far enough in time, we are all migrants. 

“My hope is that by reminding people of their own migration stories there will be a greater compassion towards people living as migrants right now.” Anders Birger 

This is a travelling exhibition where Anders collects stories and images that will add to this on-going archive. To hear more about talks and workshops in the festival by Anders sign up to our mailing list. 

Please note: The main exhibition will be at Studio Roost Sat 17-Sun 25 June. 

The pop up van exhibition will be Sat 17-Sun 18 June at Boscombe Precinct.