HIDE AND SEEK (2024)

The ocassion for our project is the tightening of the GEAS reform (Common European Asylum System), which was approved by the European Parliament in April 2024. The adopted measures significantly worsen humanitarian conditions for asylum seekers and place additional strain on solidarity within the EU.

The GEAS reform aims to strengthen border control at the EU’s external borders, introducing strict standards for registration procedures. The screening and return procedure may last up to six months. Children as young as six years old are required to be registered with fingerprints and photographs in order to rule out potential security threats.

Asylum procedures will take place at the external borders, where individuals seeking protection must remain in designated centers until their application has been examined. Entry into the EU is permitted only if there is a realistic chance of being granted protection; otherwise, individuals will be denied entry. The reform redistributes responsibility from border states to all EU Member States, which must either accept refugees, provide financial contributions, or deploy personnel. Secondary migration will be restricted through mandatory reporting requirements. Rejected asylum seekers may be deported to so-called safe third countries, although the criteria defining such countries have been loosened.

Our project serves as a wake-up call to the public, drawing attention to the shortcomings and consequences of the reform. In collaboration with the activist Dr. Ifunanya Concilia Dimaku and other refugees, the impact of the new regulations is made tangible and visible. By using a thermal imaging camera, technology that is also employed to monitor migration routes, we highlight the issues behind these measures and make the “invisible” visible.

This visual method was chosen deliberately. Many refugees do not wish to appear identifiable on camera, whether due to fear of repression, deportation, or to protect their privacy. Thermal imaging technology allows bodies and movements to be seen without revealing identities. At the same time, it creates an aesthetic visual language that poetically explores questions of visibility, protection, and anonymity.

HIDE AND SEEK was a collaboration with Lara Batdorf, Isabel Gekeler and Nadia Kheshti during the Master’s program in Applied Design Research at the Faculty of Design of Munich University of Applied Sciences.

The spoken-word performance titled My Dear Bayern is part of the HIDE AND SEEK project. In this video work, chribaxe, also known as Dr. Ifunanya Concilia Dimaku, shares personal experiences and reflects on her relationship with her new home.

Dr. Ifunanya Concilia Dimaku is a queer physician and researcher with a focus on health management. She currently lives in Emmering, Bavaria, Germany, where she has applied for asylum, as she would face imprisonment in her home country due to her activism as an LGBTQIA+ advocate. Originally from Nigeria, Ifunanya has also lived in Belarus and Berlin for her studies. She is actively involved in volunteer work, including with Doctors of the World. In addition, Ifunanya is a poet and spoken-word artist, engaging in activism that explores healing trauma through meditation and nature.

The interviews were conducted in 2024 with refugees from the Munich region. They shed light on the circumstances in which displaced people currently find themselves. Due to their present legal and personal situation, their faces have been obscured at their own request. For this reason, their names are not disclosed.

The concept was further supported by the activist Dr. Ifunanya Concilia Dimaku. As a public figure, she chose to appear openly, with both her name and face visible.