“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

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

Street Art part2

Detroit -  An abandoned building on Chene St. in Detroit has been turned into an urban canvas by an artist. The painting presents cartoon characters engaged in violence. It was created on…
Marcin Szczepanski – Migrationpapa

University Aspirations

Lagos -  Iduma Chibueze, a wrist watch seller at the Sabo arrived Lagos in January, 2010 with savings made from Ebonyi eastern Nigeria to start his business. He came with the aspiration…
Andrew Esiebo – Migrationpapa

Young entrepreneur

Rotterdam -  Young Mr. Bhoendie has been working here for eleven years now. His father and mother bought this little restaurant fifteen years ago. His mother cooks Surinamese, Hindu, Chinese, Carribean and…
Nies Medema – 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

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

Out Signposts

Sao Paulo -  This house and all the other around it, in Helvetia Street, are going to be demolished untill the end of the year. There is a new project for this place…
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

Mexicantown 2

Detroit -  Magnificent mural was painted on the side of a Mexican food store Hacienda on West Vernor Highway in a neighborhood called Mexicantown in Southwest Detroit. Detroit is home to a…
Marcin Szczepanski – Migrationpapa

Almost captain

Rotterdam -  Young skippers are trained in Maashaven. Lars de la Rie (one more week of school to go before he will be inland skipper) told me he was born only 5…
Nies Medema – Migrationpapa

The Streetfactory

Rotterdam -  New wood has arrived. The Streetfactory works with used wood. This is scaffolding wood. They do use pallet wood as well. The furniture they make does look good and is…
Lino Hellings – 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

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

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

Mexicantown 1

Detroit -  Alex Martinez shows off one of his roosters in the living room of his Southwest Detroit house. Martinez grew up on a farm in Mexico and tries to hold on…
Marcin Szczepanski – Migrationpapa

Together 2

Rotterdam -  Two balconies in pensioners home ‘ Harmonie’ (Harmony). One with a Dutch flag, the other with a satellite dish, allowing her to watch TV shows from all over the world…
Nies Medema – 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

a€œCatadoresa€

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

Volunteer work 2

Rotterdam -  Ali Toptas tells me why there are no children in the play ground I saw the day before yesterday. There is a brand new play ground, also not far from…
Nies Medema – Migrationpapa

Roads2

Detroit -  Two men who migrated to the city from Kentucky in 1950s work on an old truck that belongs to the one on the right. They stayed behind when most of…
Marcin Szczepanski – 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

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

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