Attaché Case

 

Attaché Case is an exhibition of 35 miniature artworks inside
a vintage briefcase. 21 asylum seekers and refugees in Melbourne were invited to create artworks that addressed their refugee experience. The artists, some still held in detention centres, come from countriesincluding Afghanistan, Vietnam, Poland, Columbia, Sri Lanka, Iran and Iraq. In their artworks they explored diverse issues about detainment, political policies, optimism and waiting. The project captures the personal experience of refugees and gives voice to those who are seldom heard or seen.

 

To present Attaché Case, I flew from Melbourne to Canberra handcuffed to thebriefcase. The Ambassador of Spain, Enrique Viguera unlocked the handcuffs at a ceremonial eventattended by the media. The contents of the briefcase were revealed for the first time.

 

Attaché Case is part of Low Cost Diplomatic Bag, an exhibition curated by Nilo Casares, featuring 16 international artists who present their nearest Spanish Embassy with their own version of a diplomatic bag.

 

Commissioned by the Spanish Embassy, Canberra 

for exhibition at 16 international venues including the 

Immigration Museum in Melbourne, Australia.

 

February 2015—January 2017