The Greek state response to covid-19 once again showed their absolute lack of respect for the lives of refugees. Instead of working towards medical and sanitary safety, lockdowns were imposed and strictly regulated only for the people living in Moria concentration camp and Kara Tepe. After the regular restrictions were lifted, the people of Moria remained under lockdown. We can only say that covid-19 was the perfect excuse to further exclude the migrant communities from society, deliberately silencing thousands of voices and denying refugees access to basic support structures.
But people won’t be silenced so easily. They say that in a dictatorship the walls have ears. During lock-down, the walls around town, especially around supermarkets and pharmacies, offered possibilities for discussion. We started working on a poster series called ‘Talking to the wall’, in order to keep spreading messages of solidarity and inspiration. We worked together with people from many different communities, with or without papers. While we did everything to keep each other safe, we couldn’t thoughtlessly comply with oppressive measurements that attack human solidarity and safety.
The posters will also be bundled in a publication, serving at the same time as a book as well as a poster collection that can be used and stuck by readers.
These posters were created during a Risograph Printing Lab over the summer of 2020 in Lesvos. Migrants, activists and local Greeks participated, trying to continue to create dialogues during covid times.
futuring migration 