The story of refugees in the Greek islands has faded from headline news, yet the struggle and suffering continues. Mainstream Europe have stopped caring about the crisis and in effect have stopped caring for their fellow humans. In an effort to revive the art of caring and improve the environment where children seek mental and physical treatment aptART (Awareness & Prevention Through Art) teamed up with Médecins Sans Frontières outside Moria Camp on the Greek Island of Lesbos. Through workshops and activities, they shared with the kids the opportunity for artistic expression and, if only for a brief time, a childhood.
About The Project
Alongside artist, Ruben Sanchez, the kids created stencils to tell stories of health and helping fellow humans. The kids sprayed their stencils across traditional Greek medicinal pots that were painted on the outside of a shipping container, used to store medical supplies. The tents and containers in the clinic that are used for consultations and treatment were also painted with imaginative stories. In additional to wall paintings, Ruben Sanchez and the kids got three dimensional, creating colourful animals from recycled scrap wood. Through workshops the kids had the opportunity to take photos of their daily lives on instant film and paint portraits of themselves.
This project explores the hopes of children who fled war in Afghanistan, survived a treacherous sea crossing and have now come to call the razor wires, overcrowded tents and prefabricated containers of Moria Camp home.
About aptART
Awareness and Prevention through Art (aptART) is an organization of artists and activists dedicated to sharing artistic experiences with conflict-affected and marginalized youth throughout the world. AptART coordinates workshops for youth that result in large-scale public art in countries such as Syria, Iraq, Palestine, Jordan, Cambodia, Myanmar, Turkey, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Mozambique.
In collaboration with local and international organizations operating on location, artists and activists coordinate workshops with youth from different communities. The workshops culminate in large-scale public art as well as individual pieces. The workshops and art focus on issues affecting communities with messages of positivity and hope.
The underlying factors that led to more than 1.8 million people to come to Europe since 2014 still exist and unless the conditions in their home countries improve, people will continue to come.
“The simple truth is that refugees would not risk their lives on a journey so dangerous if they could thrive where they are.”
-Melissa Fleming, UNHCR
Images and Text by Samantha Robison of aptART.
