WITHOUT BORDERS

The borders hurt me the most

"Again you forgot to close your atlas folio, the oceans will flood our flat once more" - my Mother said.

At once I ran downstairs to our One-Room-flat without windows, three floors beneath the ground, and closed my atlas, lying on the sewing machine, which also served as my working place.

To look at the many-coloured atlas was for a long time my only pleasure. Because of the books I read (especially novels), I longed to see the whole world. The little resources of my father did not allow us to move to another city or province, not to mention another country. Thus I invented a game, by opening my atlas to see, whereto I wanted to travel this day. (Luckily I did not read Jules Verne these days, otherwise I would have had great problems). By this means I learned to know all the countries, cities, even small villages in the world. I climbed all mountains, bathed in all lakes and rivers, and sailed all the oceans.

I met many people and made many friends.

How I did it?

It was quite simple.

Whatever country I wanted to visit, first I had to take into account the scale of the map. Was the land reduced by a fraction of e.g. 1 : 200 000, I enlarged it in my imagination by the fraction of

1 : 200 000. Thus I could see everything, all the rivers, valleys, mountains, cities, streets and houses.

I imagined the people and their life.

But there was something, I could not understand, a red line and a red dot, followed by a red line and a red dot, encircled all the countries wherever I looked. Finally I learned to understand. These lines and dots where borders. In my imagination I enlarged these dots and lines by a fraction of 1: 200 000 and before my eyes an enormous Chinese wall, made of red fire took shape, or something like the walls of a castle with a red tower nearby.

How difficult it must have been, to build around all these countries walls and towers that mighty and high!

I was seated next to the window and looked down at the landscapes, fascinated as I was when playing the atlas-game of my childhood.

There where the rivers, the mountains, valleys, cities, everything, really everything was as it should be. With one exception. There where no borders. Many years, many decades, they fooled us. Because there simply where no borders. No borders, I swear it. I have seen it with my own eyes. I really did.

“Without thinking, without compassion, without respect,

they built high walls around me.”

The fall of the Iron Curtain and the efforts to expand the European Union have facilitated freedom of movement within Europe.

The Schengen Agreement allows border crossings without formalities, and Europe’s citizens seem assured of boundless mobility.

Yet, this is only one side of the story. On the other hand, controls over “outsiders” have intensified.

Checks at the external borders are stricter and more coordinated than ever: Fortress Europe has been created.

At least a partial fortress, as a new border now cuts through Europe.

“I had so much to do outside,

and I didn’t notice how they raised the walls.”

At this border—between Austria and Hungary—where actions against illegal immigration are intensified, the “re”Action Borderless will take place.

In the middle of an open field, right on the border line, an oversized gate made of wood and metal will be erected.

The gate is locked: with keys, chains, padlocks, and bars. Overcoming it seems hopeless, even though it stands in an open field.

“So secretive were the workers, so quiet,

they shut me out from the world without me noticing.”

To collaborate on or support this project, other artists, refugee aid organizations, human rights groups, Caritas, and other NGOs are invited to participate.

On the day of the event, the “Border Dance” choreographed by me will be premiered, accompanied by music and readings.

“Now I sit here, carefree and without worries,

except for this fate that consumes me.”