“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

Sadek City Model Town: Photo Studio

Dhaka -  Photo studios are generally adorned with pin up of popular movie stars. Often clients request to be photographed as their favourite star. The studio generally has a full complement of…
Shahidul Alam – Migrationpapa

City art 1

Rotterdam -  In the harbour (Maashaven) someone felt the need to make art on this metal door.…
Nies Medema – Migrationpapa

Rayerbazaar: Goddess Kali

Dhaka -  Kali is considered the goddess of time and change. Although sometimes presented as dark and violent, her earliest incarnation as a figure of annihilation still has some influence. Shahidul Alam/Drik/Majority…
Shahidul Alam – 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

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

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

Different Religions

Sao Paulo -  This is a church that korean made in “Bom Retiro” - Korean Peace Presbyterian Church. This neighborhood is always in change. First came the italians (1920), second the jews (after…
Ines Correa – Migrationpapa

Very cheap

Sao Paulo -  These Chinese came to Brazil a short time ago. They don’t speak English or Portuguese. They sell hats made in China. R$ 10,00 each. This is very cheap.…
Ines Correa – Migrationpapa

Sleeping like sand

Dhaka -  Kadar moton ghumai literally translates to ‘sleeping like sand’. It is generally used for small children who drape themselves around their mother, sleeping as if the world didn’t exist. These…
Shahidul Alam – 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

Bridalshop

Rotterdam -  This shop sells outfits for Hindu weddings. The bride, groom and guests can buy their dresses, jewellery, shoes and handbags in this colourful shop. There is a wide variety of…
Lino Hellings – Migrationpapa

Whatever

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

protest

Sao Paulo -  Detail from the front door of the block of flats where the MST – Movimento dos Sem Teto/ Homeless Movement Downtown São Paulo is hosted. Homeless people struggling to obtain…
Ines Correa – Migrationpapa

Rickshaw puller and his wife

Dhaka -  The concept of privacy is very different in a home where the whole family lives in one room.…
Shahidul Alam – 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

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

The original

Sao Paulo -  When we go through Liberdade, we don’t know who is chinese or japanese. They are brazilian now. It’s so mixed! And so different from “the original\".…
Ines Correa – 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

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

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

Korean News

Sao Paulo -  The most interesting thing about this neighborhood in Sao Paulo is that we find koreans, jews, bolivian and brazilian from Sao Paulo or from other parts of Brazil, all of…
Ines Correa – 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

Under Construction

Sao Paulo -  Downtown Sao Paulo is through changes. It seems never ending. The project of revitalizing the city is audacious. But first, it is necessary to decide what to do with the…
Ines Correa – Migrationpapa