Waste: Floating Words Across the Mediterranean for Migrants
Syrian artist Eisa Baddour's itinerant project Waste has reached its third stop in Briatico, Italy, after previous installations in Ayia Napa, Cyprus, and Sifnos, Greece. The installation consists of floating wooden fragments arranged to form the phrases 'What a waste of love,' 'What a waste of faith,' and 'What a waste of hope,' set against the Mediterranean Sea. The wood is sourced symbolically: from abandoned refugee homes in Cyprus from the 1970s, landfills near Athens, and the former home of an Italian migrant who left for America. Baddour, himself a migrant who studied in Milan, describes the work as a tribute to those who crossed the Mediterranean seeking a better life, often losing their lives and leaving behind love, faith, and hope. He reflects on Italy as both a beacon of hope and a place of formidable social challenges. The project continues its journey along Mediterranean coasts.
Key facts
- Eisa Baddour is the Syrian artist behind Waste.
- Waste is an itinerant installation with stops in Ayia Napa (Cyprus), Sifnos (Greece), and Briatico (Italy).
- The installation uses floating wooden fragments spelling 'What a waste of love,' 'What a waste of faith,' 'What a waste of hope.'
- Wood comes from abandoned refugee homes in Cyprus, landfills near Athens, and a migrant's former home in Italy.
- Baddour studied in Milan and is himself a migrant.
- The project addresses migrant deaths and journeys across the Mediterranean.
- Briatico is the third stop of Waste.
- The work is described as a message of love, faith, and hope.
Entities
Artists
- Eisa Baddour
Institutions
- Artribune
Locations
- Ayia Napa
- Cyprus
- Sifnos
- Greece
- Briatico
- Italy
- Mediterranean Sea
- Milan
- Athens