“Hidden forces”

Hidden forces are the forces in Public Space which pop up when you go slightly out of the script. In a positive and a negative way. Everybody, whether conscious of it or not, takes part in the choreography of the street. Automatically walking in the right tracks, doing the right actions at the right moments in the right spaces. Everybody knows his own role and recognizes the roles that others play. Whether being watched by cameras, a curious neighbour or by the official or self-appointed authorities, we know we are being watched. And that has consequences for our behaviour. A Dutch artist couple felt they could only move in Lagos in a taxi to occasionally jump out of the car to take a few quick photos. Until they were invited to the local church. Walking with the Bible under the arm they were left alone. It was the first time they felt safe. No atheists in Lagos. How to exorcise fears that it might go wrong? How to charge life in a positive way? A big lock on your storehouse where you keep things for ‘black day?’ ‘Who if not we?’ do we read on the wall in Bishkek. It is a positive call to young people to not go away. The exodus of young talent to the West is a big problem. In Bishkek we see a girl with ‘Lost in the West’ on her T-shirt. Coincidence? Did her father like many others go abroad to work? Sometimes people give up in disbelief.’ It don’t exist’ is written on a deserted shop in Detroit.

Sao Paulo -  Man wearing an SSA (Socialist Union Alternative) group t-shirt next to the symbol of anarchism. Nothing is more democratic than the two ideologies sharing the same spot.…
Marcelo Ferrelli – Sao Paulo Lab

Lagos -  In every tourist guide about Lagos you can read about the ‘area boys’, gangs of men and boys who ‘own’ the place (unofficially). They supply services you have not asked…
Adolphus Opara – Lagos Lab

Someone wrote that slogan on several burned out houses on Michigan Avenue in Detroit. Since the last factory shut down in the 1990s, most of the remaining residents moved out…
Marcin Szczepanski – Migrationpapa

The Prince Claus flyover. The cameras on the left on the motorway are to enforce the speed limit. The surveillance camera watches hooligans once they enter the area from the…
Lino Hellings – Flyoverpapa

The dog, man’s best  friend is also the best car alarm.
It worked fine while I was taking the picture.…
Giovana Pasquini – Sao Paulo Lab

Many elderly people spend most of their time looking out of the window.
The day goes by while they watch what is happening around them.
And today a pigeon has…
Tatyana Mihnevich – Bishkek Lab

Lock the door and calm down.  But today I’m afraid such a lock will not be safe enough. Public space is filled with storerooms. Every person living in one…
Angelina Mokh – Bishkek Lab

On my first round in Bishkek on Saturday morning I found these children playing a game I did play in my youth as well. You draw a pattern with chalk…
Lino Hellings – Bishkek Lab

A lady taking care of her bowl of local liqour a.k.a Ogogoro at the Iddo terminus market. The market is popular for transtional trading. The bowl are words…
Andrew Esiebo – Migrationpapa

The situation with brain drain is relevant to Kyrgyzstan. So many “gold brains” go abroad in search of a better life…But some part of young “gold” generation is still around…
Nargiz Chynalieva – Bishkek Lab