Meanwhile I’m Doing Exercise
In 2016 Oltheten travelled the Via Egnatia. This route runs from Durres, Albania, to Istanbul, Turkey. For over 2000 years, this road has been used by traders and tourists, and more recently, refugees crossing the Balkans to reach Western Europe.
The ‘migration crisis’ blocked large parts of the old walking route; fences and border patrols had to stop refugees. Meanwhile I’m Doing Exercise portrays a different image of the refugee crisis than news media shows. Oltheten mainly focused her camera on the daily activities of the people she encountered, both local residents and refugees. Set against the backdrop of important political events, she poetically depicts new and old customs.
Courtesy of the artist and Galerie Les Filles du Calvaire.