The Mapping Journey Project may seem simple at first glance, but once you delve into it, it opens up a complex world of geopolitical reality and struggles of individuals who just want to live a peaceful life and support their families. When I sat down in front of a screen and started listening to someone’s journey, my imaginations played a great part in experiencing the project. I would look at the pen moving across the map as my mind visualized their journey – whether it was through a desert or by boat or bus, I couldn’t help but imagine what it must have felt like – very captivating. The tone of their voices was very calm and casual as if they’re used to it.
My favorite moment was probably when a man tried to escape to Italy, but accidentally ended up in Turkey thinking that he was in Italy. The whole piece seemed refreshing and especially relevant now that I’ve read articles about the European refugee and migrant crisis and them being a generic mass of people – full of terrorists and slackers, looking to live on welfare – often very Islamophobic. That’s why the whole set up was so fitting – from afar, they’re all identical, impersonal projections, not until you sit down you can see how different all of the maps are and hear their experiences and stories and relate to them.