Emil Hrvatin and Peter Šenk's Refugee Camp for First World Citizens as Political Art Strategy

In 2004, Emil Hrvatin and Peter Šenk introduced the Refugee Camp for First World Citizens, an innovative settlement designed for potential refugees from affluent countries, challenging the conventional refugee camp model. Slovenia was selected due to its government's assurances of safety against terrorist threats. Their project is influenced by Giorgio Agamben's concept of the camp as a biopolitical framework. Featured in the 2004 subversion issue of Janus magazine, it critiques the militaristic politics of the First World. Additionally, Guillermo Gómez-Peña's La Pocha Nostra showcases politically charged art through performances in San Francisco and other cities. Hrvatin and Šenk aimed to broaden their initiative in 2005-2006 with projects in Venice, Rotterdam, Žilina, Giessen, and Vienna, reimagining camps as vibrant living spaces.