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 pity, without respect

they built high walls around me"

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

The Schengen Agreement allows border crossings without formalities,...

Europe's citizens seem to be able to be sure of borderless movement.

That affects one side, but on the other hand, controls on the 'others' have been increased.

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

At least a partial fortress, because a new border runs through Europe. I had a lot to do outside

"how they raised the walls - I didn't notice"

The 're' action Borderless will take place at this border - the border between Austria and Hungary - where more action is being taken against illegal immigrants.

In the middle of an apparently 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, barriers,... it seems hopeless to overcome it even though it is in the open field....

"The workers were so secretive and so quiet

they shut me out of the world without me noticing anything"

Other artists, refugee aid and human rights organizations, Caritas and other NGOs are invited to collaborate on or support the project.

On the day of the event, the 'Border Dance' that I choreographed will be premiered, and music and readings will take place in this context.

"Now I sit here helpless and carefree

except for this fate that is eating me up"