OOGcontact

“EYEcontact”

A grid of 40 portraits displaying a diverse group of individuals of various ages, ethnicities, and backgrounds. Each person has a serious expression and is set against a dark background. Under each portrait, there are handwritten captions.

A grayscale portrait of an elderly woman with short gray hair, wearing a high-neck sweater and a black shawl. She stands against a dark background with a hopeful expression. Text below reads: "Suraja / Age: 69 / Azerbaijan. I wish for a good life in the Netherlands.

A portrait of a man with dreadlocks, a beard, and mustache. He is wearing a camouflage jacket over a red shirt, with a black background. Text beneath the image reads: "Diallo / Age: 30 / Guinea" and "I wish to be free.

A portrait of an older woman wearing glasses and a headscarf, looking directly at the camera. The caption reads, “Batool / Age: 60 / Iraq. I wish for my son to recover from cancer.”.

A Somali woman wearing a patterned hijab and dark clothing smiles softly at the camera against a dark background. The text reads, "Amira / Age: 60 / Somalia" and "I wish for my family to come here from Somalia so we can be reunited.

A close-up portrait of a woman with dark hair pulled back, wearing a black top and a gray fur-lined jacket. She has a neutral expression and looks directly at the camera. Text below reads, "Hadeel, Age 25, Syria. I wish to become a mother.

A man smiles broadly while looking at the camera. He is wearing a striped shirt. The image has a caption at the bottom that reads: "I wish to become a father one day and to be a good mentor to my children." The text at the top right corner reads: "Abdul / Age: 31 / Uganda".

A black-and-white portrait of an older man with gray hair and a mustache, wearing a patterned jacket over a checkered shirt. The text on the image reads "Ahmed / Age: 62 / Iraq" in the top right corner and "I wish peace" at the bottom.

A portrait features a woman wearing a white headscarf and patterned scarf. She is looking directly at the camera with a slight smile. Text below the image reads: “Miada, Age: 39, Syria. I wish that the war would stop.”.

A middle-aged man with long, wavy gray hair and a gray beard is smiling softly. He is wearing a turquoise shirt. There is a handwritten message below that reads: "I wish for a safe and good life with my family in the Netherlands.

A smiling person wearing a white knit cap and a dark sweater with a patterned collar, facing the camera. The text below reads, "Zuenah / Age, 27 / Uganda. I wish to be a great consultant!.

A man with long hair wearing a beanie, a necklace, and a dark shirt smiles slightly while looking directly at the camera. The caption below reads, "Usama, Age: 47, Libya. I wish to live like the Dutch people, very soon I wish!.

A man with a broad smile is centered in a portrait. He is wearing a light blue shirt, and a dark background highlights his face. The text reads: "Gizachew / Age: 28 / Ethiopia." Below, a quote says, "I wish for freedom in Ethiopia as in the Netherlands.

A young man with long hair and a beard looks directly at the camera with a serious expression. He wears a light-colored hooded jacket. Text below the image reads: "I wish for the war in Syria to stop." The name, age, and location, "Osman, Age: 23, Syria," are in the top right corner.

Portrait of a man wearing a grey hoodie with a neutral expression and looking directly at the camera. The text on the image reads: "Djiouong / Age: 33 / Ivory Coast" and below that: "I wish to forget what has happened and start a new, happy life.

About this project

This is an initiative by Ema Najetovic: 50 portraits of refugees from 16 different nationalities taken at the asylum seekers’ center in Alkmaar, Netherlands.

It is a project where we used a mobile studio in a kind of construction trailer to photograph people. Some had only been in the Netherlands for a few weeks, having just fled from Syria. Others had been in the Netherlands much longer, up to ten years, waiting for a status. Communication during the photography was limited due to the language barrier. However, we did ask people about their greatest wish. The eyes say it all; you can read a lot in them.

Intro Text

Do you close your eyes for current world problems or do you dwell on it?

Where do you go when there is no way out?

Would you run if war is imminent?

How would you feel in a camp with 1001 other cultures?

What would you have left if you leave everything behind?

Could you imagine having no status anymore?

What would you wish for if you have nothing?

We are fifty refugees that are looking for eye contact.

Eyecontact with the western world. Eyecontact with you.

Can you see me?

We invite you to connect with us, do we have something in common?

Of course, look closely……

We all have eyes to see and to shut.

The closhing exhibition

The photos were displayed on Christmas Eve 2015 at Hal25 in Alkmaar, Netherlands. This was during “De Zalige Kerstvlucht,” an event to which asylum seekers were also invited. More than 80 residents of the Alkmaar asylum seekers’ center attended. They were brought by shuttle buses. There was a large communal dinner where everyone brought a traditional dish from their own country. Beautiful connections were made through sharing food and being together.

Facts:

2015 | HAL25 | Alkmaar, Netherlands | Visitors Approx. 3.000

This project was made possible by:

Ema Najetovic | Rick Akkerman | Stichting De Vrolijkheid | VSBfonds

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