The things we leave behind

The project examines the realities of forced migration and survival using abandoned objects, through installations, films, performances, performative talks and workshops. The artist Lais Pontes has played a major role, helping to devise and photographing/documented the project.

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• Origin of Objects: Real objects, clothing, and artifacts left behind by people fleeing their homes were collected from transition camps in Serbia and the shores of Lesvos, Greece. 

• Community Engagement & Dialogues: These abandoned items have been used to spark conversations with diverse groups, ranging from asylum seekers in London to school students in the UK and Kabul.

• Public Participation: Participants temporarily adopted an object to process the emotional weight of taking over something left behind. They were then asked to reflect on the questions: Who owned them? Why were they left behind?

• Exhibitions have integrated photography, sound pieces, drawings, writing, artifacts, and live performance, with proceeds from the project supporting humanitarian efforts like the Dirty Girls of Lesvos Island.