Somewhere Else: Limbo on the Balcony of Europe
(2025 - Ongoing)
One sometimes overlooked side effect of the Ukraine war is the enormous displacement of people from Belarus and Russia, due to their countries' rapid shift to authoritarianism.
Large numbers of dissidents and oppositionists have fled to Georgia, as it was the quickest, and one of the only paths to safety. However they are not granted asylum nor residence, so they must stay there in prolonged uncertainty, effectively as permanent tourists. Everyone does the visa run once a year over the border. Everyone knows they don't have a future in this place. For most, returning home is not an option - some await prison sentences while others can't imagine life in a closed regime. And over the last year, Georgia itself is sliding into authoritarian rule, adding further uncertainty and raising questions about whether it might become the next Belarus or Ukraine.
This project explores a precarious situation for Europeans who wish for the freedoms enjoyed across the EU, but who instead have been pushed out to the edge - to the so-called “balcony of Europe". It is a story of volatility and trying to survive in the present moment, but also one of resilience, human strength and hope. How does one cope, survive and make a life in a place that will never be home, and is becoming less secure all the time?
