- Poland
- in the Czech Republic for 5,5 years
- coordinator of international projects on economic migration and working conditions in Multicultural Centre Prague
“Prague is a kind of bubble within the Czech Republic, we live here without major problems. We see integration in a completely different way here than in the rest of the country. I like the city’s slogan Prague for all, but I wonder to what extent we really reflect upon it.“
“Herstory: A piece of street art displaying inspirational women of various backgrounds. The graffiti was created by a group of women living in Prague, who come from different countries. Prague 10.”
“I think that tolerance in the Czech Republic is not about celebrating diversity and mutual enrichment, but rather about people being uninterested. People simply don’t care about certain things and therefore they don’t see them as a problem. However, they become problematic once they become a public matter. That´s when the Czechs start to dislike minorities.“
“Safety net – against human rights violation and exploitation, Florenc.”
“I wish there was no discrimination and inequality, I wish to live in a society full of justice, and diversity which is positive, brings variety and some sort of enrichment.“
„Home delivery“ – street marketing aka „where is my home?“, Prague 7.
“Integration is like a bridge. On one side, there are minorities, on the other side there is the majority society. Foreigners are walking over the bridge towards the majority. It is a process, effort, work. Learning Czech, orienting oneself in the rights and responsibilities, slowly reaching the majority. However, I think that this idea of integration only stresses the effort of one side – it is the foreigners who are supposed to try hard to fit in. But I think, that the effort should be made by both sides and that we should meet somewhere in the middle.”
“Looking for someone to blame – „Iditě domoi“ 49 years later. Sad and dangerous example of blaming foreigners for the failures of capitalism and elites. Prague, centre. “
“Random paradoxes – a pin „My motherland changing“ by sleeping quarters for foreigners. Holešovice.”
“My motherland changing“ is a travelling exhibition introducing reconstruction of objects in public spaces and the changes of scenery in Czech towns and cities. The exhibition shows how local people aggrandize dilapidated places. The quarters in the photo are sadly in a very bad shape, which makes it look all the more paradoxical.
“The sleeping quarters tend to offer undignified conditions. However, it’s not just the foreigners who live there, it is more about the socio-economic situation of people rather than about where they come from. I don’t like that instead of dealing with the problem, we move it out of sight. Somewhere on the fringe so that they don’t cause any trouble.”
“Not even Švejk was a racist. Prague, by Vltavská metro station.”
“I like the redefinition of the Švejk character, who is deeply rooted in the Czech culture and famous abroad at the same time. Švejk is contradictory. Is he a positive character or a character displaying the negative traits of Czech people? The author probably created the graffiti in reaction to the wave of hate and xenophobia, which rose in the Czech society as a result of the so-called migration crises.”
“Multicultural society is not a lie, it’s a fact. Prague, Florenc.”
“I am not a laughing monster that wants refugees to die. Pérák, a slightly different patriot. Prague, centre.”
