PHOTO:Now You See Me Moria

Mória Reception and Identification Centre, better known as Mória Refugee Camp, or just “Mória”, was the largest refugee camp in Europe until it was burned down in September 2020. It was located outside the village of Moria near Mytilene on the island of Lesbos. Enclosed with barbed wire and a chain-link fence, the military camp served as a European Union “hotspot”. It was described by Human Rights Watch as an open air prison.

By Efi Michalarou
Photo: Foam Archive

The project “Now You See Me Moria” was started by Amir in August 2020, a young Afghan refugee, and Spanish image editor Noemí, who lives and works in the Netherlands. The collaboration didn’t just distribute images on social media but additionally launched a call to action to increase the waning public awareness about the situation in Moria In January 2021. Graphic designers worldwide were invited to create posters using the photographs from the Instagram account. Foam exhibits these disconcerting images and posters, the result of an ongoing effort to maintain the urgency about the human tragedy at Moria. What makes these photos special is that they were taken by photographer Amir, a refugee himself and stuck in Moria as a resident for a year. In a co-authorship with Noemí, Ali and Mustafa from Afghanistan and Qutaeba from Syria, refugees also residing in Moria, he records life there. In January 2021 the collective launched a call to action to increase public awareness regarding Moria. Designers from around the globe were invited to create posters based on the photographs taken in the camps. The response was overwhelming: nearly 500 graphic designers responded to the “Love for Moria” call for human rights. The posters were made available through the Now You See Me Moria website, encouraging people to download and print them, to hang in their windows, on balconies, at schools, universities, cultural institutions, and in the streets. They were also used in demonstrations in front of governmental and EU buildings in major European cities on February 14, Valentine’s day. The support for Now You See Me Moria has been growing ever since it was created. Yet, a continuous effort is crucial in order to make the EU acknowledge the reality of the camp and take action.

Photo left & right: Posters from Now You See Me Moria project

Info: Foam, Keizersgracht 609, Amsterdam, Netherlands, Duration: 2/7-25/8/2021, Days and Hours: Mon-Wed & Sat-Sun 10:00-18:00, Thu-Fri 10:00-21:00, www.foam.org