“Our project invites visitors to reflect on the experiences of people who have had to leave their home countries and arrived elsewhere. We have interviewed five individuals from Iraq, Afghanistan, and Yemen. They have shared with us their journey from their home country to the Netherlands and the process of their integration. What was their departure like, their arrival, experiences on the way to the Netherlands? How did they adapt when they arrived here? And how do they experience their new country?”

Encounter
“Even if you are not Islamophobic or xenophobic, you may unconsciously hold racist beliefs or prejudices about immigrants. We invite visitors to Rozet to an encounter between the established and the new Dutch. We want to move away from the stigmatized image that refugees are always hopeless seekers of luck. We spoke to successful entrepreneurs, artists, musicians, you name it.”

Diversity
“We have translated their stories into five designs, which are displayed in Rozet. You will see an arrangement of five figures at a table, each with their own background and clothing style.
At a screen near the installation, you can listen to their stories through headphones, then view the clothing and make the connection. Or vice versa, of course. Altogether, it is a cohesive artwork that celebrates diversity and narratives.”

The Untold Story of Successful Immigrants

Ülkühan Akgül (AMFI, 2023), multidisciplinary designer
Batuhan Demir (ArtEZ, 2023), multidisciplinary designer

State of Fashion curated by FDFA 2024 at Rozet: interactive multimedia installation
title: You Think It, Geert Says It