Three Migrants in a Boat

2019, Multimedia installation, performance 

A performance installation set as a trip of three migrants and a smuggler on a small rubber boat that is going upstream river Maritsa (Evros in Greek) at night. Based on sketches, dialogs and jokes from the popular comedy classic book Three Men in a Boat (to Say Nothing of the Dog) by Jerome K Jerome, but instead the river Thames is Maritsa (Evros), the men are desperate migrants, the dog a smuggler, and the trip takes place at night without any light. Up to 9 audience members equipped with night vision devices (NVDs) can be around a boat, and observe the conversation without being seen (becoming the border guards). 

Set-up

The installation requires a space that can be darkened completely – a gallery, a museum or theater, optimally 8 × 10 m, and equipped with power plugs, ceiling projector(s) and white projection screens (or white walls).

All the NVD related-equipment is provided by the artist, and all the technical setup, video and audio editing for the installation are prepared preliminarily, together with a technician that travels with the artist.

2 days for installation, 1 for deinstallation.

Daylight/public space versions of the installation are possible.

Scenography

The scene is set with a rubber dinghy, in an indoor space, with a big panoramic projection of the river banks around the scene, set in infrared, only perceived by someone wearing night vision devices (NVDs).

The artist performs as the “Smuggler”, and engages in interaction with audiences, in several possible ways: directing performance readings of the refugee comedy scenes by actors, volunteers or brave audience members, hosting public debates about migration in the dark, or listening to secret confessions of audience members about their irrational fears about the Other and the phenomenon of migration.

Three Migrants in a Boat (To Say Nothing of the Smuggler) was incubated at the Borderline Offensive artistic residency in Leeuwarden, Netherlands in June 2018, part of the Leeuwarden-Fryslân 2018 European Cultural Capital programme.
https://borderlineoffensive.eu/

It was presented at various locations, partners in the project:
- Röda Sten Konsthall, Gothenburg, Sweden, 9–18 AUG 2019
- Art & Tech Days festival, Košice, Slovakia, NOV + DEC 2019
- CZKD Center for Cultural Decontamination's, Belgrade, Serbia,16–19 SEP 2019

FIND more about Three Migrants in a Boat (To Say Nothing of the Smuggler) HERE