Refugees Confront the Past Through Art

By immigrationprof on July 25, 2017

The New York Times reported about the Temporary Museum, a pop-up exhibition inside the Bijlmerbajes in Amsterdam, a former prison that is now a center for asylum seekers, where those who fled are presenting works that help the public understand their migrant experience. The Temporary Museum, which opened on June 28 and will remain inside the building until Jan. 1, aims to present new perspectives on migrants, an effort to break the isolation that newcomers often feel.

The website for the Temporary Museum describes it as follows:

“Visit the ‘Tijdelijk Museum’ (Temporary Museum) in the former prison complex of the ‘Bijlmerbajes’! After a successful first edition in the former Shell Tower (the present A’DAM Toren), the present edition explores connections with the new residents of the – equally temporary – asylum seekers’ centre set up here. The participating artists and designers were invited to make new work for the occasion. Examples include Leonard van Munster’s tree fountain in the courtyard, Teun Castelein’s Bijlmer Hammam in an old cell block, Mayra Sérgio’s tea landscape and an installation in the control room featuring videos by Gali Blay. The Museum will continue to expand its collection throughout the exhibition period.”