Intervention, Lable printed on Paper, Digital Photoseries
2018
The first time I claimed the Gate of Hope, I travelled to the Serbian-Hungarian border in 2018. When crossing over to Serbia at the Rözske checkpoint, I marked the Serbian side with a label as the Gate of Hope. Borders define spaces and territories, as walls enclose a room. They are created by different groups to protect identity, property and culture. Often, the only way to cross a border is by passing through a highly-defended checkpoint or risk crossing at a green border. To cross borders freely and unchecked is a privilege.
In Claiming Gate of Hope, I declare entrances as the Gate of Hope. Gates exist on a varying scale of size. The entrance to one’s home is an object of great societal and personal importance. A portal that offers access to a room, protecting one from climate and seasons, it keeps dangerous animals outside, it enables privacy so one can be shielded from stranger’s eyes, it serves to keep one’s life private and protect one’s property.