Worldwide, more then 60 million people are on the run. More then 60 million individual stories. Stories everybody should hear.
That’s why artistic collective Power of Art House wants to give these stories, these people, a human face. By telling their stories and opening eyes. Showing people a different way of looking at refugees. Encouraging empathy and strengthening social cohesion. Not to blame or shame or judge, but to show the human suffering in the stories of each and every refugee.
In September 2015, we launched our street art project Moving People; 10.010 mini-refugees appeared all over Amsterdam and The Hague. On park benches, at stations, at traffic lights, along the canals, in the zoo, in front of various ministries, in the train….they popped up everywhere! They travelled to other cities and countries like the USA, China, Spain, Italy, Germany, Belgium, Croatia, Italy and many more. And they still are!
The ten miniatures represent real people and their moving stories. Small but tangible stories of human voices behind the endless numbers of refugees in the news headlines. These are stories that need to be told, with an artistic – but non-political – twist. The small figures are meant to move, to literally travel through the city. We show the human stories behind the overwhelming news footage and so-called ‘swarms of refugees.’
Photo’s: Chris de Bode
Sharing = Caring Moving People is a street art project in which everybody can show commitment to refugees and let their voices be heard in a creative way. If you happen to find one of the miniatures, you can take it with you and place it somewhere else. The miniatures are loosely stuck to the various surfaces with a small sticker.
In this way you can contribute physically to the project by moving the miniatures around the city, country, or even the world. Move and be moved.
Share your picture of one of the miniatures on social media? Please use #MovingPeople
Check out all the places where our Moving People have been placed and spotted so far.
How did we start Moving People? First of all, ten real-life stories needed to be found. Through various social media channels and refugee organizations, we found ten people who wanted to share their story with us. After interviewing them, they posed for a 3D scanner in positions to reflect their memories and feelings.
Then, 3D scans and subsequent prints were made resulting in small figurines of approximately 11 cm. With these figurines, we started to make silicone molds.
In collaboration with the local sheltered workplace in Amsterdam, Pantar, all the 10.010 handmade figures were produced and painted with environmentally friendly materials. All the miniatures have a sticker directing to this website. Here you can read the ten unique and moving stories of each miniature.
Photo’s: Pantar
About us
Power of Art House is an artistic think tank and creative collective of designers, socio-cultural entrepreneurs, producers and other creative thinkers, that commits creative interventions and campaigns to bring socio-cultural themes into the spotlight. Our interventions and campaigns combat apathy and indifference in a creative way. Our (street) art is a weapon of choice in demobilising complex and politicised issues in order to make them accessible to a wider audience, with an arty-wink.
More information about us at www.power-of-art.nl or contact us by email: info@powerofarthouse.nl
Moving People was sponsored by:
Dutch Council for Refugees, Amsterdam Fund for the Arts (AFK) & Fonds 1818
