Joël van Houdt, Southern Morocco, 2007.
Joël van Houdt, Crossing the ocean, 2008.
Joël van Houdt, On the way to Europe, 2008.
Joël van Houdt, Mohamed in Europe, several months after arriving and their immediate arrest (and later on, their release), 2009. |
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Gemak
Paviljoensgracht 20-24
+ 31 (0) 70 - 3381 200
The Hague
Entering Europe
June 27-September 27, 2009
The ramshackle little boat carrying photographer Joël van Houdt and 28 illegal immigrants just managed to complete its crossing from Morocco to the Spanish island of Lanzarote. Van Houdt has produced a penetrating photo report on the experiences of one Moroccan, called Mohamed, as he tries to escape what he sees as a dead-end life in his native land and seek a future in Europe. This summer’s exhibition of photos at Gemak shows the preparations, the unsuccessful attempts, the final crossing and Mohamed’s arrest immediately on arrival.
Mohamed is a well-educated young Moroccan born close to the border with Western Sahara, a territory largely under Moroccan control. In despair at his dead-end life, Mohamed decides — together with his close friend Ahmed — to leave everything he knows and loves. He contacts a group of people smugglers who offer him a place on a boat to the Canary Islands. The 34-hour crossing is hellish: the rickety little boat is overloaded with people and, to make matters worse, most of them become seasick. Immediately on arrival, the whole group — including the photographer — is arrested. The incident made the Dutch national news in 2008.
Photographer Joël van Houdt photographed Mohamed and Ahmed for over a year and the result is an impressive four-part report. The first series of photographs was taken in Morocco itself, where the colourful buildings cannot disguise the poverty of the people, explaining why the two men long for a better future. The images of the laden boat convey a strong impression of the danger of the enterprise. Even after the group’s arrest, Van Houdt continued to take shots of Mohamed in all the desperate uncertainty of his situation: would he be sent back or allowed to remain? The photographer’s own period in detention was fairly brief. The Spanish police wanted him to give evidence but he told them nothing. Mohamed is now living as an illegal immigrant somewhere on the mainland of Europe.
Joël van Houdt (b. Brouwershaven, 1981) trained in Photography & Design at Bradford College in England before studying Photography at the KABK in The Hague. Following a work experience placement with Dutch daily newspaper Trouw, he became a freelance photographer and the 2004 winner of a Canon prize for photojournalists under the age of 30.
This exhibition is being organised in cooperation with Trouw, which is also to publish the reportage in the form of an exclusive supplement. Gemak and Trouw hope that this will provide a new way for photographers to give the public access to major pieces of photojournalism. As a centre for art, politics and social affairs, Gemak Den Haag is the ideal venue for the exhibition: instead of flipping through the pictures in the newspaper, visitors will be able to peruse them at their leisure on the walls of the gallery.
Joël van Houdt, Photo: Jorgen Caris. |
