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Migration PAPA 1 - 31 November 2010
In which we learn about the lives of urban newcomers in five different countries. 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 Participating photographers: Shahidul Alam in Dhaka, Andrew Esiebo in Lagos, Marcin Szczepanski in Detroit, Ines Correa in São Paulo and Nies Medema and Lino Hellings in Rotterdam. Commissioned by Kosmopolis, Rotterdam. With the support of the Hivos Culture Fund.
LOW OVERHEADS
When newcomers arrive they find the simplest ways of surviving by setting up a business with low overheads, such as a barber who needs only a comb and scissors. They display great inventiveness but life is also harsh. Migrant workers in Dhaka and Lagos who carry heavy loads and those with lowpaid jobs in Rotterdam's harbour or construction industry frequently suffer from hernias and back problems.In the project about the newcomer in the city six photographers in five countries hit the streets together even though they are thousands of miles away from each other. The photos flow into the PAPA website like a wave moving around the world. First from Dhaka, five hours later from Rotterdam and Lagos - cities in the same time zone. Detroit and São Paulo complete the group another seven hours later. The photos and captions were projected right away 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.
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Mongolian saloon
(Dhaka, Bangladesh)
As children we used to talk about Italian Saloons ('It' is a brick in Bangla, so these were saloons where you sat on roadside bricks). We also had Mongolian Saloons, which were under mango trees. Don't see enough of the tree to tell which country this saloon would be from, but it's certainly a spacious barbershop!
05 Nov 2010, Shahidul Alam
The Barbers
(lagos, Nigeria)
A barbershop at the Iddo Terminus. Barbering is a job common among newcomers to the city. They can set up a business with little investment and even less skill.
01 Nov 2010, Andrew Esiebo
Barbershop and tailor in one
(Rotterdam, The Netherlands)
Some of the owners sit, talk and drink Fanta and Cola at the end of the day. A barbershop and franchise of Alex's cosmetics products by an Italian stylist. He shares his shop with Victoria Fashion Mode, Africanstyle dresses for Surinamese Africans. They can make traditional outfits for other cultures as well..
05 Nov 2010, Lino Hellings
Barbershop and pigeons
(Dhaka, Bangladesh)
Yet another barbershop. I was intrigued by the fact that this doubled as the place where the barber reared his homing pigeons. There were several houses and the pigeons flitted in and out. It didn't seem to bother the customer. He just wanted his shave.
08 Nov 2010, Shahidul Alam
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