GIDEON: Yes. In fact, I’m in the middle right now for
response to the migrant crisis in Europe and photography
the first time — I haven’t really told anyone about it —
has failed on many levels. But, I was part of an attempt at a
but I’m in the middle of making some kind of physical
collaborative project working with migrants and wanting to
non-photographic objects. I had an experience recently
photograph their own lives, and for a whole set of reasons
working in the Jungle Camp, do you know what that is?
that project was pretty unsuccessful. In a moment of desperation, I felt a need to make anti-photographic material and
ANDREA: No.
began collecting a variety of objects from toothbrushes to
shotgun cases to hygienic objects. I’m working at the moment
GIDEON: It’s a camp in Calais in France. It’s occupied by
to create some photographic still lives, but I’m also making
6,000-9,000 migrants from all over the world who are trying
some physical installations from them. That’s quite a big
to illegally cross to the UK. In many ways I feel a particular
change for me but there’s a continuity in the work between
Gideon Mendel, Jameela Khan, Bemina, Srinagar, Kashmir, India, October 2014.
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