A group of refugee activists from the Refugee Advocacy Network and the Refugee Action Collective (Victoria) took on a very ambitious project a few years ago, which has culminated in the Just Like Us exhibition.
The exhibition opened on August 26 — the 10th anniversary of the Tampa incident, when then-PM John Howard refused to allow the Norwegian ship Tampa to dock in Australia after it had rescued asylum seekers from a sinking boat.
Just Like Us is designed to be informative and to inspire reflections on the questions surrounding the arrival and resettlement of asylum seekers in our community.
It features an eight metre printed timeline illustrating a potted history of Australia’s response to refugees, which emphasises the key events of the past 10 years.
The exhibition also includes video footage of people speaking about their experiences of seeking asylum in Australia, and how they have found a place in our community.
There are video interviews with refugee advocates and footage and photographs from protest actions.
Several photographs accompany chains of hearts made with messages of support collected from past events.
The “wheel of misfortune” highlights the various circumstances that lead people to seek asylum and how chance can determine the fate of people forced to leave their homes in fear of their lives.
The exhibition also includes two works by artists who exhibited for the 2011 Heartlands Refugee Fine Art prize, and work by Viv Mehes from the Shadowlands and Made in Australia exhibitions.
The enduring policy debate around the issue makes this exhibition highly relevant and timely.
It is designed to be accessible for young people and those who are interested in finding out more about this important issue.
An educational program for schools and several public events highlighting different aspects of the refugee movement is associated with the exhibition
[The exhibition is at the Multicultural Hub, 506 Elizabeth Street, city (opp Vic Market). It opens every day 9am to 5pm until Friday 30 September. For more details visit www.justlikeus.org.au ]