Refugees Create Participatory Short Film at Venice Biennale with Olafur Eliasson
Italian video collective ZaLab conducted a participatory workshop with asylum seekers at the 57th Venice Biennale, commissioned by Austrian gallery TBA21 as part of Olafur Eliasson's Green Light project. Four participants—Dickson, Zubaida, Akam, and Lamin—were given cameras and asked to select an artwork from the Biennale that resonated with them, then reinterpret it in Venice or their host city. Directed by Michele Aiello and Davide Crudetti, with contributions from Andrea Segre and Tomi Mellina Bares, the resulting short film comprises three episodes, each with a distinct style and narrative. The project aimed to empower refugees through collaborative filmmaking, linking art to personal experience and place.
Key facts
- ZaLab is an Italian collective specializing in participatory video.
- The workshop was part of Olafur Eliasson's Green Light project at the 57th Venice Biennale.
- The project was in collaboration with TBA21 in Vienna.
- Four asylum seekers participated: Dickson, Zubaida, Akam, Lamin.
- Participants chose an artwork from the Biennale and recontextualized it in Venice or their host city.
- The film was directed by Michele Aiello and Davide Crudetti.
- Andrea Segre and Tomi Mellina Bares also contributed to the film.
- The short film consists of three episodes with different styles and content.
Entities
Artists
- Olafur Eliasson
- Michele Aiello
- Davide Crudetti
- Andrea Segre
- Tomi Mellina Bares
- Dickson
- Zubaida
- Akam
- Lamin
Institutions
- ZaLab
- TBA21
- La Biennale di Venezia
Locations
- Venice
- Italy
- Vienna
- Austria