Our intentions

What moves the many young people who have come to Germany as refugees? What images do they carry with them from their old homeland - like their new one? And what do they dream of when they think about their future? For questions like these, the project "eye_land: homeland, flight, photography" seeks answers in the medium of photography.

What is the view of children and young people - especially those who are new - on their life in Germany? What images do they carry with them from their old homeland and what do they have in mind when they think about their future? For questions like these, "eye_land: homeland, flight, photography" seeks answers in the medium of photography. The project wants to know what connects young people with the concept of home, how they live and experience their everyday lives in Germany and what their vision of the future is, expressed in images and imagery of their everyday lives.

The starting point of "eye_land: homeland, flight, photography" is that the immigrants have changed our perception of "homeland" and put it to the test. Her influx in recent years has sparked controversy in politics and society, sparking discourses and initiatives on a broad scale.
The immigrant children and adolescents are particularly vulnerable. They deserve a great deal of attention because they help to shape the future of land and society, and they are already building the foundation for it - both humanely and professionally. This population group is also the target group of the project.

The state, numerous organizations and many citizens are concerned with the needs of migrants and their integration into our society. Artists and media educators have also launched dedicated projects and, together with refugees, created images that touch and create closeness. These pictures of young people with and without refugee status give us an insight into their lives and their visions of the future. They let us share their wishes, their hopes and their humor, as well as their fears and worries.

Cultural education makes an important contribution to international understanding and plays a crucial role in shaping social diversity. Photography as a medium that communicates non-verbally and creates an image of reality has a special significance in public discourse.

With the project "eye_land: homeland, escape, photography", the German Children and Youth Film Center (KJF) is initiator and organizer of its photo exhibition "My Germany". Supported by the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (BMFSFJ) and in cooperation with the Federal Agency for Civic Education (bpb), "eye_land: hometown, escape, photography" now wants to bring images to the public, the aspects of escape, arrival and also show and discuss the visions of a new society. The goal is to create a platform that is part of the "social movement" and gives this new social movement an expressive image.

 
the project:

eye_land is looking for now

ROOTS - Photos made by children and teenagers from their "old" home and on the way to Germany
RE-START - children and youth photo projects that focus on the lives of refugees in Germany
VISIONS - children and youth photo projects that show the dreams and visions of children and adolescents. The focus is on the vision of a society that does not discriminate against anyone because of their gender, descent, race, language, origin, religion, religious or political ideology - a world of peace and freedom and of art, science, Research and teaching enrichment.

eye_land makes visible

All submissions will be presented successively on the website www.eye-land.org. This is how the project grows in front of the public.
All creators of the pictures and projects are documented, assigned and networked on the website www.eye-land.org.
The website sees itself as an attractively designed source of inspiration and role model for further initiatives.
Selected pictures and projects will be shown in a major exhibition at the Federal Press Office in Berlin in 2019, making them a noteworthy contribution to public discourse. The selection is made by an advisory board, which is competently staffed with personalities from politics, media education and photography.
Further presentation possibilities and exhibition forms, in particular in the public space z. B. on large projections, are in planning.
Refugees curate and show their view of Germany in a separate area of ​​the project.

networked eye_land

The concern of eye_land is communicated nationwide in cooperation with other institutions and initiatives. You will have the opportunity to test independent approaches and to present the results of the various artistic-educational projects.

eye_land celebrates

The opening of the final exhibition on April 2, 2019 is intended to be a celebration of encounter and exchange between the creators, artists, photographers, cooperation partners and interested parties - a festival in which cultural expressions can also be explored through photography Beyond the center, the vision of a free and equal togetherness can be experienced.

eye_land researches and discusses

In the period from 1 to 3 April 2019, the project and its diverse approaches to making the past, present and future of the refugee children and adolescents visually photographable are widely discussed. What results did the individual projects come from? What is the connection and what is special about their different ideas? What succeeded? What can we do better? And how does it continue?

eye_land is an invitation

to projects in the area of ​​child and youth education and their participants, to make their work accessible to a large public.

eye_land shows attitude

An important concern of the project and its participants is the respectful treatment of all partners in front of and behind the camera, in politics, the organizations or associations. A maximum of transparency and express willingness to engage in dialogue are also included.