the performance
“Public Deportation” is a project by performance artist Marina Belobrovaja whose contemporary residence permit in Switzerland expired on August 21st, 2007.
Belobrovaja predominantly works in the area between social realities and artistic practice. Her projects broach the issue of political and social conditions in a provocative but also humorous way.
Between August 6th and 11th, 2007, one week before the expiration date of her residence permit, Belobrovaja parked a bus on the Helvetia Square in Zurich containing all her personal belongings. She attached a large poster to the bus with the following request:
“Please, deport me!
Ladies and Gentlemen, my residence permit is going to expire on August 21st. Unfortunately, I do not have a driving license. Please help to deport me, and do something beneficial for your country!”
For six days Belobrovaja was standing on the Helvetiaplatz, one of the main public squares in Zurich, and engaged passers-by and local residents in extensive discussions and conversations about her request. The respective border (France, Austria, Germany, Italy) as well as the distance and the duration of the trip were to be determined by the voluntary driver. She received three offers to deport her, none of them, however, was carried out.
The performance was non-stop documented by London artist Emma Nilsson. Numerous journalists and reporters from Zurich were actively involved and reported daily and on the spot about the performance (Tagesanzeiger, WOZ, 20 Minuten, Antidot, Radio Lora, Radio Energy Züri, Art-TV – press-review).
Context of the project
The project „Public Deportation“ was accomplished by invitation of the cooperating art spaces White Club / Salzburg, Austria and White Space / Zurich, Switzerland. White Club provided several European art spaces with a bus during July and August 2007. The guests were left to use the bus as they wanted to. The interventions focused on the topic of „mobility“.
