“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

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 bosses

Rotterdam -  Six o'clock in the morning the pub next to the Metro station is serving coffee for the ‘bosses’ I think. In the cold night minivans and cars arrive to pick…
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

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

Mobile Work

Sao Paulo -  This woman came from Equador. She sells scarves in Liberdade, a neighborhood of Chinese and Japanese people. She doesn’t speak portuguese and didn’t understand my questions in english as well…
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

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