ICY & SOT Address Refugee Crisis with Art Interventions in 'Giving Plants' Project
Situated in the Olive Grove refugee camp in Lesbos, Greece.
ICY & SOT joined forces with the non-profit organization, Movement on the Ground, on a project called ‘Giving Plant’ that aims to shed light on the global refugee crisis. Surrounding the Olive Grove refugee camp in Lesbos, Greece, the multifaceted initiative saw the Brooklyn-based artist duo conducting a series of separate interventions named ‘Lost Voices’ and a thought-provoking installation entitled ‘Stuck in Time.’
At the camp, the artists also worked with a group of volunteers to build a vegetable garden to help provide food for the largely misplaced, overlooked community.
‘Stuck in Time’
“In the past few years, we have made works about immigration and refugee crisis. when we decided to go to a refugee camp in Greece we thought we should do something more than just another installation. we came up with the idea of giving flower plants and making a vegetable garden because at the end they can get from the garden and flowers makes people happy. It was wonderful to see that actually put a smile on peoples faces for a moment,” said the duo in a statement in regards to the garden.
The duo also addresses the refugee crisis in an additional statement, having expressed: “Since EU closed their borders they are stuck in the camps up to 3 years in some cases while not knowing how long they have to wait and conditions are inhumane. In ‘Moria Camp’ asylum seekers are suffering to get safe and adequate accommodation, basic hygiene, food and non-food, items, and health care.”
‘Lost Voices’
‘Giving Plants’ is just one of many politically-charged art installments helmed by the Iranian brothers, having created murals, outdoor sculptures, and video installations that touch upon socio-political issues.
In other politically-charged presentations, Pharrell and Japanese artist Mr. launched “A Call to Action” exhibition in Paris that features diverse works portraying children symbolically brandishing weapons.
Visit ICY & SOT’s website to view past projects.
