• BENEDIKT PARTENHEIMER
  •  
  • ASK THE SUNLIGHT
  • THE WEATHER IS FINE
  • GLACIAL WATER
  • MEMORIES OF THE FUTURE
  • PARTICULATE MATTER
  • TRINITY
  • SPACE MIRROR
  • IT`S NEVER ENOUGH
  • VENDING MACHINES
  • BOUNDARIES
  • DREAMS OF EUROPE
  • TEMPORARY MEMORIAL
  • TURNAROUND
  • WHITE HORSE
  •  
  • INFO / CV

 

The world is experiencing the worst displacement crisis since World War II. There are currently over 60 million people fleeing war, suppression, injustice and hunger. Because of Europe’s immigration policies and its strategies of deterrence and expulsion, people are forced to take illegal and extremely dangerous routes in order to reach Europe. The Mediterranean and Aegean Sea are the deadliest borders world wide, since the year 2000 over 22.000 people died trying to cross. Europe must rethink its immigration policies and must start to think about alternatives to the Dublin regulation. We have to accept that migration is a reality. Migration is part of an unequally distributed and globalized world and will only be stopped if the living conditions in the countries of origin are improved.

I have been photographing refugees and migrants on different stages of their journey -before and after crossing the Mediterranean and Aegean Sea. I was not interested in photographing refugees in overcrowded refugee camps, however I am interested in the individual human being and in visualizing a ”geography” of migration. It is important that we recognize refugees and migrants as people and not as a burden and potential threat. It is important that we don’t victimize refugees and that we take their hopes and dreams seriously. We have to find a human approach to deal with this situation.

The images of the series will only be released as an edition of 1 (+ 1AP). The price of the portrait images will match the amount of money the individual person had to pay to smugglers in order to reach their current location. This way the size and price of the print will not be determined by me or a gallery but will represent the exploitation of the depicted person(s). The earnings of the print sales from the portrait images will be donated to an aid organization.




Dreams of Europe

Dreams of Europe

Adama(Cote d‘Ivoire), Badou(Gambia), Achmed(Sudan), Mohamed(Sudan). They all (exept for Achmed) have tried to cross the Mediterranean Sea multiple times from Libya without success.

Boat, Lampedusa 2015

Boat, Lampedusa 2015

Henok, 20, Eritrea / Sicily 2015

Henok, 20, Eritrea / Sicily 2015

It took Henok 3 years to get from Eritrea to Sicily. His Grandfather sold his house to pay for the trip. He has paid 5050 Euros to smugglers. Henok wants to find work so he can send money to his family.

Mermaid / Tunisia 2015

Mermaid / Tunisia 2015

Badou, 19, Gambia / Tunisia 2015

Badou, 19, Gambia / Tunisia 2015

Badou has tried to cross the the Mediterranean Sea 3 times from Libya without success. He has paid 1600 Euros to smugglers. He wants to go back home and find work as a social worker.

Boats at Night / Lampedusa 2015

Boats at Night / Lampedusa 2015

Ustin, 22, Nigeria / Sicily 2015

Ustin, 22, Nigeria / Sicily 2015

Ustin had to leave his country because of a death threat. He has payed 1700 Euros to smugglers. Ustin is waiting for his papers and wants to find a job.

Pakistanis, Kos (Greece) 2015

Pakistanis, Kos (Greece) 2015

Chasing Dreams / Tunisia 2015

Chasing Dreams / Tunisia 2015

Ehigiunsne, 20, Nigeria / Sicily 2015

Ehigiunsne, 20, Nigeria / Sicily 2015

Ehigiunsne found his father shot dead in the street, killed by Boko Haram terrorists. Ehigiunsne was shot in the the leg while holding his father but managed to escape. He made his way to Libya where he worked 2 months on a farm to pay for the boat to Europe.

Achmed, 40, Sudan / Tunisia 2015

Achmed, 40, Sudan / Tunisia 2015

Achmed lost his entire family and fled the war in Darfur. He has been living in Libya and Tunisia for several years. He wants to got to Europe, but does not want to risk his life on a boat.

Meda, 19, Eritrea / Sicily 2015

Meda, 19, Eritrea / Sicily 2015

Meda was chosen by his family to go to Europe. He paid 4330 Euros to smugglers. Meda is hoping to get asylum and dreams of finding work in Sweden.

Shipwrecks / Lampedusa 2015

Shipwrecks / Lampedusa 2015

Alieu, 19, Gambia / Sicily 2015

Alieu, 19, Gambia / Sicily 2015

Alieu`s family was killed and he fled to Senegal. From there he went to Mali, Niger and then to Libya. In Libya he cleaned a supermarket every day for one year to pay for the boat to Europe. He is waiting for approval of his application for asylum.

Lighthouse, Lampedusa 2015

Lighthouse, Lampedusa 2015

Life Jackets, Kos Harbour, Greece 2015

Life Jackets, Kos Harbour, Greece 2015

Irshad 20, Ali 20, Mohammad 22, Khisrow 21, Jomagul 20, Afghanistan / Kos, 2015

Irshad 20, Ali 20, Mohammad 22, Khisrow 21, Jomagul 20, Afghanistan / Kos, 2015

The 5 friends have been traveling together from Afghanistan. Each of them had to pay 3350 Euro to smugglers. They came with a small rubber boat from Bodrum (Turkey) and had to row for 5 hours through the night because the motor broke.

Ferry from Kos to Athens, Greece 2015

Ferry from Kos to Athens, Greece 2015

Shipwreck, Kos, Greece 2015

Shipwreck, Kos, Greece 2015

Pier Kos, Greece 2015

Pier Kos, Greece 2015

5 Syrian refugees sitting on the pier in Kos. In the background Bodrum (Turkey) is glowing in the night.

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