Exhibition: Powerplay – Deals All Over

Powerplay – Deals All Over (2021) by We Sell Reality © Maarten Nauw / Framer Framed

9 Oct –
3 Dec 2021

Exhibition: Powerplay – Deals All Over

The European Union makes all kinds of deals with other countries with the aim of keeping refugees out. Take the Turkey deal for example: incoming refugees are directed through Turkey, where their access to Europe is decided before they even enter. Turkey receives money for managing this process. Or the Mali deal: Mali receives development aid in exchange for enforcing stricter border control. The collective We Sell Reality has visualised these and many other deals in the form of toys for children. These toys will be presented in an installation at Framer Framed.

We Sell Reality is a social rebellion label that focuses on making products, graphics, installations and performances. The collective currently consists of 15 social designers. Most members are refugees in limbo.

As a collective, We Sell Reality reflects on the paradox of closed borders for some and open borders for others. For migrants without wealth, crossing borders proves to be almost impossible. Those same borders, however, are easy to cross physically – or through trade – for someone in possession of a European passport. The collective visualises the position of dependency that this creates. We Sell Reality‘s projects express a Europe that disappoints through its failing asylum policy. They visualise a need for survival and what it means to be uprooted, but also showcase the pride, love and strength of the participants. Through this, We Sell Reality reflects the lived experience of people that are directly affected by the consequences of the deals.

When you enter the exhibition space, you imagine yourself in a children’s paradise. It appears to be a shop where beautiful handmade toys are being sold. At first sight it seems a colourful and attractive whole, but that quickly fades as the stories behind the toys sink in. The deals may ensure that fewer refugees arrive in Europe, but this happens at the cost of the safety and opportunities of people being forced to flee their homes outside its borders.

Info

Opening: 8 October, 2021
Doors open: 17:00
DJ Crazy and face painting: 17:00 – 19:00

Supported by
Ministerie van Onderwijs, Cultuur en Wetenschap; Amsterdams Fonds voor de Kunst; Gemeente Amsterdam- Stadsdeel Oost; Mondriaan Fonds; Stimuleringsfonds Creatieve Industrie.