1000 dreams. About refugees by refugees

Stories from the LGBTQI+ refugee experience

As part of our “Re-act! Ideas in Motion” activities and with kind support of the MOMus – Thessaloniki Museum of Photography we organised a Photography Exhibition in the former Kindergarten building in the port of Thessaloniki: “1000 Dreams – About refugees, by refugees – Stories from the LGBTQI+ refugee experience”.

“1000 Dreams” is a project entirely authored by people with a refugee background telling the stories of refugees across Europe. While our understanding of the refugee experience most often comes through stories told by others, often creating incomplete and biased perceptions, “1000 Dreams” allows us to get to know the stories of people on the move and to learn about them, their dreams and their strengths. We as Heinrich Böll Foundation had the honour and pleasure of exhibiting a selection of these portraits and stories coming from the LGBTQI+ community for five days in Thessaloniki.

Our exhibition kicked off with an opening talk on 30 June. Moderated by Despina Syrri, who is the founder of the Symbiosis - School of Political Studies in Greece and a long-standing partner of the Heinrich Böll Foundation in Greece, we had three guests joining in-person and online: William Lounsburry from Witness Change, the non-profit organization behind the project “1000 Dreams”, Ekaterini Georgiadou, a Greek lawyer and legal activist who has contributed with strategic litigation to LGBTQI+ refugees and asylum seekers’ rights in Greece, and Baxi, a queer non binary person with migration background and one of the photographers of our exhibition.

The opening took place in the beautiful cafeteria of the MOMus – Thessaloniki Museum of Photography, joined by visitors from all over Europe. Our panellists discussed refugee and LGBTQI+ dreams and respective rights and opportunities to pursue them. Baxi gave us an insight into the process of how they gathered stories within their communities and these stories were diverse, yet, similar with regard to certain experiences. William explained how capturing the diversity of the refugee experience means challenging the mainstream narratives, be it the victimisation of refugees on the sympathetic side or dehumanisation of refugees as a threat on the hostile end. Ekaterini told the impressive story of a trans-refugee in Greece whose asylum claim as well as her right identified gender after a long struggle and fight finally was accepted.

The exhibition opening offered insights into a reality, which many people on the move have to face and which is often overlooked: being LGBTQI+ and displaced can be a double stigma and people sometimes must have incredible strength and resilience.

The photo exhibition "1000 dreams. About refugees by refugees - Stories from the LGBTQI+ refugee experience" was held in the former Kindergarten building, at the first pier in the port of Thessaloniki. As the title of the exhibition states, this is a project that, unlike what usually happens, gives a voice to the refugees themselves. From the 1000 people who were photographed and told their stories, we selected 24 LGBTQI+ refugees, having in mind that being LGBTQI+ and displaced can be a double stigma and people sometimes must have incredible strength and resilience.
The exhibition was made possible with the support of MOMus-Thessaloniki Museum of Photography and the continuous assistance of its people - director Iro Katsaridou, curator Iraklis Papaioannou and the staff.
The MOMus-Thessaloniki Museum of Photography kindly provided us with the lovely museum's café to hold the opening discussion, which included guests from both Greece and Europe joining in-person and online.
Neda Noraie-Kia, Head of Migration Policy Europe at the Heinrich Böll Foundation, explains that the photographs and interviews were conducted by 40 people with a refugee background living in Europe who attended seminars to acquire these skills.
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A lawyer and a legal activist, Ekaterini Georgiadou told the impressive story of a trans-refugee in Greece whose asylum claim as well as her right identified gender after a long struggle and fight finally was accepted - it was the first such case in Europe.
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On screen live is Baxi, a queer non-binary person with a migration background and one of the photographers of our exhibition. Baxi gave us an insight into the process of how they gathered stories within their communities and these stories were diverse, yet, similar with regard to certain experiences.
Apostolis Karabairis of Thessaloniki Pride, which had just finished five days earlier, was also present at the event.
The entrance of the colourful building of the former Kindergarten in the port of Thessaloniki, covered with the posters of the event.
Our understanding of the refugee experience comes mainly from stories told by non-refugees, and therefore may be incomplete. This is the gap that this project is trying to fill.
This exhibition makes clear that the reasons for fleeing are almost the same for all refugees - persecution, violence and fear - as are their dreams - a better, free life.
The exhibition remained open for six days (until 5-7-2022) and was visited by a total of about 150 people, Greeks and many tourists from abroad.
Migration, human rights and gender democracy are among the main components of the Heinrich Böll Foundation’s programme.

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