El 24 de junio, la exposición fotográfica del proyecto Cruzando las líneas tendrá lugar durante la conferencia ‘Ayuda ilegal’’ en Wereldhuis, Amsterdam. Ésta es una exhibición piloto del proyecto que se está llevando acabo por Jonge Sla, periodismo multimedia (www.jongesla.org), el proyecto es apoyado por diferentes organizaciones locales tales como Sindicato de trabajadores, United Migrant Domestic Workers y Organización de Mujeres Indocumentadas.

Una de las características de la sociedad holandesa es la limpieza. Hoy en día, este trabajo es realizado en las grandes ciudades por inmigrates ya sea indocumentados o legales pero quienes no pagan impuestos. Este tipo de trabajo no es contado en las estadísticas gubernamentales aunque contribuye al crecimiento económico del país. El proyecto Cruzando las líneas mostrará las personas que están trás éstas ‘’manos invisibles’’ y sus empleadores.

Qué es: Exhibición fotográfica Manos Invisibles
Dónde: Ático de Van Limmikhof, Nieuwe Keizersgracht 1A, Amsterdam
Cuándo: Viernes 24 de junio, De 12 a 17 pm
Información: Nies Medema, 0651986244, jongesla@xs4all.nl

On the 24th of June, a one-day photo exhibition will take place of the project Crossing the Lines during the conference ‘’Illegal help’’ at Wereldhuis, Amsterdam. It is a pilot exhibition of a project in progress by Jonge Sla, multimedia journalism (www.jongesla.org). The project is supported by several Dutch organizations, such as the Workers Union, United Migrant Domestic Workers and the Organization for Undocumented Women.

One of the Dutch characteristics is cleanliness. Nowadays in the big cities this is mainly provided by either illegal or undocumented migrant workers. Their work isn’t taken into account in the government statistics, even though it contributes to the economic growth. The project Crossing the Lines aims to show the people behind those ‘invisible hands’, as well as their employers.

Where: Attic Van Limmikhof, Nieuwe Keizersgracht 1A, Amsterdam
When: Friday 24th of June,12-17 hour
Information: Nies Medema, 0651986244, jongesla@xs4all.nl

 

Foto expositie Onzichtbare handen

Op 24 juni 2011, tijdens de conferentie ‘Illegale Hulp?’ van het Wereldhuis www.wereldhuis.org in Amsterdam, opent de ééndagstentoonstelling ‘Crossing the Lines’ met foto’s en korte teksten van werkgevers en werknemers in huishoudelijke diensten. De tentoonstelling is een try-out van een lopend project van journalistiek bureau Jonge Sla, www.jongesla.org en wordt ondersteund door o.a. FNV Bondgenoten, United Migrant Domestic Workers en Stichting Vrouwen Zonder Verblijfsvergunning. 

Onzichtbare handen

Het Nederlandse reinheidsideaal wordt tegenwoordig in de grote steden vooral in stand gehouden door zwartwerkers en migrante werkers en werksters, veel van hen zonder verblijfsvergunning. Hun werk komt niet voor in de statistieken, terwijl ze toch een belangrijke bijdrage leveren aan de economie van de stad. Project ‘Crossing the Lines’ brengt deze mensen en hun werkgevers in beeld.

Wat: Foto expositie Onzichtbare handen 

Waar: zolder van Van Limmikhof, Nieuwe Keizersgracht 1A, Amsterdam

Wanneer: Vrijdag 24 juni, 12-17 uur

Informatie: Nies Medema, 0651986244, jongesla@xs4all.nl

A multimedia project on domestic workers and employers

Crossing the Lines will be exploring the relationship between employers and their employees in the Netherlands, Bangladesh and maybe more countries. 

How it began

It all started with my grandmother Dientje Venema, who worked as a maid from her 12th to her 24th in Groningen. Then it turned out one of my good friends Arnob Chakrabarty had partly been raised by a maid. When he returned to Bangladesh in 2010, he had a driver and a part time maid.  I decided I wanted to explore relationships between employers and employees, together with other (photo) journalists.

Photo, video and text, Crossing the lines is a multi media project on parallel lives in several countries. Domestic workers, maids, cleaners and au pairs and their employers will be portrayed in the house of the employer. Employee and her or his employer will be photographed and captions about their lives added.  The texts will reveal some information about their lives, their personal history and their work. And how they see each other. 

At work in the private sphere

Because the work is done in the private sphere the positions are not fixed. Both in the Netherlands and in Bangladesh employers and employees are of a different social class. But not always. Foreign students work as au pairs, cleaners become friends who visit birthday parties. Bangladeshi domestic workers can play a more powerful role in a household than a daughter in law, and more close to their ‘mistress’ than their husbands.

Exhibitions: in print and digital

In the Netherlands  we organise one or more exhibitions in 2011, the first will be during an international conference j on undocumented migrant workers  in www.wereldhuis.org June 24th 2011.

In 2012 we hope to organize exhibitions in Dhaka in DRIK Photo Agency www.drik.net and at Central Station Amsterdam. 

With organizations of domestic workers in the Netherlands we plan to start a website and a Facebook page in two or more languages. The website will show photo’s, stories and (optional) short video clip showing the poetry of repetitive movements of household chores.