The Country

Facing the refugee crisis of 2015 and 2016 in Europe, Slovak government, instead of solidarity declared the wish to protect the borders of EU, refusing to accept more than 150 christian refugees from Syria. This decision echoed the fears of many citizens - from the unknown, from a chaotic and unstable world that they wish to hide from their daily life. The work "The Country" tries to put a visitor in a gallery in a position of a migrant entering the EU - waiting in front of the fence and not knowing if they will be allowed to enter. There is a set of rules, different for each day that a gallery worker uses to select, who can and who cannot pass behind. Those, who are lucky can enter throgh the door of this wooden fence and see, what is hidden behind it...

A project built for an exhibition "Fear of the Unknown" in Kunsthalle Bratislava, 2016

Country Rules:
A person at the door (gallery worker) can select a rule for each day – one of the mentioned.
All kids up to 15 years can enter, accompanied by one parent.
1st day: only people with dark (brown) hair can enter.
2nd day: vice versa – only blonde, light color haired people can enter
3d day: only visitors with blue piece of clothes can enter
4th day: only visitors without a bag can enter
5th day: only women can enter
6th day: only men can enter
7th day: visitors with blue, green, grey and bright eyes can enter
8th day: only people who smile (even sligtly) can enter
9th day: people with regular pattern on their clothes can enter
10 day: visitors with dark eyes can enter