No one has any intention of building a wall

Two months later, the border between East and West Berlin was closed with a wall. Increased vigilance is appropriate, as we are still witnessing an often contradictory policy today and see how fences are being erected and borders closed everywhere in and around Europe.

The Viennese artist Tanja Boukal does not observe this from afar, but has been traveling to crisis areas and refugee camps for many years to document the situation of the people on the ground.
She met Moroccans on the outskirts of Rome, was in the "jungle" of Calais, followed developments at Tahir Square in Cairo and spent several months in the Spanish enclave of Melilla in 2014 and 2015.

The artist captures her encounters in photographs, but the actual artistic development takes place in the studio: Individual scenes are transformed into images in pixel form using traditional craft techniques such as embroidery, knitting and weaving. Boukal deliberately chooses "soft" materials for her "hard" themes and approaches a difficult subject through familiar manual work. She sees the time and care she devotes to the execution as an expression of special appreciation and value. Her work turns ephemeral media images into unique pieces that last over time.
unique pieces.

With her work, Tanja Boukal succeeds in drawing attention to the fates, hardships and disappointments of people living on the margins of our affluent society and highlighting the socio-political relevance of art.

Guided tours:
Wednesday, April 27, 2016, 7 p.m.
Sunday, May 22, 2016, 2 p.m.

Discussion evening with Tanja Boukal:
Thursday, May 12, 2016, 7 p.m.

Article about the exhibition