Exhibition aims to tell stories of Syrian refugees
An image from the Syria in Transit exhibition - Credit: Archant
The harrowing stories of refugees fleeing Syria are told in a exhibition exploring what it means to be in transit.
Refugees living on the Syrian border in Gaziantep, southeast Turkey, and Calais, France, in the hope of escaping to the UK were among those interviewed for the thought-provoking project.
Syria in Transit, created by Kemal Vural Tarlan, who hails from Gaziantep, with UK collaborator Jon Davis, aims to make visitors re-think what it means to be a refugee when it opens at Rich Mix on Saturday.
Jon, who spent two weeks on the Turkish/Syrian border interviewing refugees, admits that the somewhat contentious subject of migrants was a eyeopening matter to delve into.
“It was very powerful to go there and get a sense of what it was like and to understand people there,” he explained.
You may also want to watch:
“It really showed how desperate people were, with many of them saying that they would have thought twice if they had known what was going to happen to them along the way.”
Told through a series of pictures and re-recorded audio to protect the identity of those involved, the exhibition gives an unparalleled insight to the stories which lead families to be where they are - and where they want to go on to be.
Most Read
- 1 Police release image after teenager stabbed in Forest Gate robbery
- 2 Arrests after girl, 16, falls onto tracks at King George V DLR
- 3 Stratford councillor who slammed Boris's bike ride cycles 30 mile round trip across London
- 4 Police appeal for help after woman raped in Beckton
- 5 Doctors urge Tower Hamlets mayor to end support for Silvertown Tunnel
- 6 Trust partnership helps free school meals pupils to eat healthy at home
- 7 Double murder accused remanded in custody over ‘brutal’ stabbings
- 8 Jarrod Bowen hails West Ham as they dug deep to seal victory over West Brom
- 9 Forest Gate man, 21, charged with dangerous and drug driving
- 10 NHS 'concerned' about Covid vaccine uptake in Newham
Many undertake unthinkable treacherous journeys via boats, cars and trains with the threat of being arrested or killed enroute to their desired destination.
Jon hopes that the exhibition will make people think twice about what it means to be a migrant and encourage greater empathy towards them.
“I hope it will reveal the very desperate situation of those who are in transit and migrants and the difficulties that they face in finding a permanent home,” he added.
*Syria in Transit runs in Rich Mix’s Lower Cafe from Saturday until September 7. Entry is free.
