Georg Klein – Project/Installation: tracing Godwin

Project/Installation: tracing Godwin
Georg Klein
Sat 26th 4.40pm -5pm
Open Platform Stage & Open Space 1

This work follows the trace of an illegal immigrant from Nigeria, who went through the Sahara Desert, Lybia, then with a small boat over the sea to Lampedusa and finally to Naples. He is a typical economic refugee, who risked his own life and sells now pot clothes or handbags for surviving in Europe. Without language knowledge, without passport, without family support and without professional education his perspective is bad. But he doesn’t complain. He keeps quiet. His trace is now extended virtually through the streets of Berlin while his voice is audible in the Gallery. The four poster photos in the streets can call attention to the public or might be destroyed. But nevertheless a lot of passers-by were lead to the HKW, where the 5th poster photo is shown, together with 2 pot clothes at the floor and the voice of Godwin coming out of a red loudspeaker.
Posters have been installed like that on various occasions, for example at the European Media Art Festival Osnabrück. The audio loop is built out of an interview the artist made in English with Godwin in Naples. The free hanging loudspeaker, shining red with some LEDs inside, is directed to his own face on the poster at the wall.

Image: Georg Klein