bresciani - ID - walls we build, walls we destroy

ID - Walls We Build Walls We Destroy

Sound+light+photo installation about the process of creation of new identities by different cultures, languages and societies.

As one of the artist in residence for three months in Urban Nation Museum Berlin, I have developed the project ID - Walls We Build Walls We Destroy for the first time, focusing on the story of refugees trying to adapt to the German society. As they lived all together in the same place, with the same limitations and looking forward for the same independence in their new lives (even though from different cultures) they influenced each other in this process of creating their new personas,
their new selves.

With the photographs of their faces I have used different printing technics (paste-up, light and transparency and silkscreen) to mix them in order to create new faces out of it. From their voices I have created a position detection generative sound environment with MAXMSP to mix whispered phrases from German history — whether we had that opportunity to build and destroy walls between us (metaphorically speaking but not only) — with some excerpts of the interview I made with them about their experience as a migrant.

Uniting past with present and shedding the light on the personal level of a world wide problem, I tried to tell their stories and provoke reflection upon the vision of the most vulnerable population of the migration crisis we are facing right now as consequence of politics and economics decisions all over the world.

credits: Nika Kramer

This project would not be possible without the help and belief of some people. So the least I can do is to thank all of them also here in this space.

First of all, I have to thank everyone that accepted to work with me donating their stories, faces and voices:
Mohamed
Adam Maranc
Jalal Hakrash
Alireza Alizadeh
Alisena Alizadeh
Mureed Nabizada
Jawid Sultani

But none of that would be possible without the direct intervention of the person who opened the doors to the place where they live, and also documented all the process:
Nika Kramer

And also all the team of the Internationaler Bund, who dedicate their daily lives to help the migrants to adapt into their new reality in German:
Stefan Ehrhardt
Diana Qutshan
Lisa Miethlau
and all the others.

And at last, but not least, to all the people who helped me in other parts of the process. From the conception of the project, through it's realization, until it's final presentation:
my personal friends/contributors:
Lorena Vicini
Fernando Pilatos
Rodrigo Lopes
Julio Chiquetto
Sara Bernabucci
Ana Hupe

everyone from the Stiftung Berliner Leben and specially
Janine Arndt
Magdalena Beyrich

all the YAP crew and specially
Anna Piera
Lennart Volber
Samuel Walter
Imed Akrimi

All the other artists in residence I had the pleasure to spend three months with dedicating my energy to this project:
Alexandra Ocancea.
Alexandrous Simopoulos
Alexis Fidetzis
Alina Suarasan
Liviu Bulea
Maja Tomaszewska
Nadine Baldow
Ossi Pirkonen
Sebastian Wandal
Tania Cellini

All the personal and structure of the Kulturwerk des bbk Berlin GmbH Kunstquartier Bethanien and the crew from the Siebdruckwerkstatt, specially
Magda Korsinsky

And of course my family that is always with me
Juliana Teixeira
Pedro Bresciani