Further images / Return to 2013
Description: Due to the amount of people constantly moving their belongings, or goods to sell, from one location to another across Paris, there is a proliferation of broken luggage bags left strewn in doorways and on footpaths. Moving frequently across this city and between countries throughout Europe, the displaced and homeless rely on these bags to store and transport their worldly possessions. The majority of these people do not have official papers (sans-papiers) and are moving without any known secure destination. They are in transit, from somewhere, with nowhere to go. The Action Researcher/Performer collected comments from people around the world who have experienced homelessness and stencilled these texts (using black marker pen) onto strips of cardboard. These commentaries were then placed onto the streets of Paris, next to found pieces of luggage, clothing or domestic items. If people of 'transient status' had the opportunity to speak in public, what would they say? Can these stories of displacement be recorded, remembered and for what effect?