North/South—South/North, 2017.
Gouache and printed text on Canson paper 224 g/m².
150 × 100 cm (59 × 39 in) each.
Solo exhibition Travelers and Strangers,
Kentler International Drawing Space, New York, 2017.
Drawing, left (North/South): In 1943, fleeing the German progression in the region, a group of Jewish refugees and resistance fighters goes from Saint-Martin-Vésubie, France, to Italy, through the Col de Fenestre. Some of them will be arrested soon after their arrival in Italy and deported.
Drawing, right (South/North): In 2015, two Sudanese refugees and two French activists go from Ventimiglia, Italy, to France, through the Col de Fenestre. Refugees and activists are regularly arrested, sent back for the former, and put on trial for the latter.
Text adapted from testimonies heard on 12 September 2016, in Passeur - Comment j'ai fait passer la frontière à des réfugiés (Smuggler, How I helped refugees to cross the border), by Raphaël Krafft, on France-Culture (radio).
North/South—South/North
North/South
In 1943, a group of Jewish refugees leaves
Saint-Martin-Vésubie, in France (bottom),
to go to Italy
through the Col de Fenestre (top).
North/South
Detail.
The group of refugees goes up slowly
toward the col with the help
of resistance fighters.
North/South
Detail.
Some of the refugees who are too exhausted
must go back to the village.
North/South
Detail.
South/North
In 2015, two Sudanese refugees
and two French activists leave
Vintimille, in Italy (bottom),
to go to France
through the Col de Fenestre (top).
South/North
Detail.
While they are going up to the col,
the refugees tell what made them flee from Sudan.
South/North
Detail.
The activists explain why they proposed to the refugees
to go through this col.