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      Take Me To Jermany

      Charlotte Schmitz

      This project is about telling a story and making its characters the co-authors.

"Take me to Jermany" is a phrase asylum seekers often mentioned to Charlotte Schmitz and wrote on Polaroid pictures as she photographed on the Greek Island Lesvos, at the Greek/Macedonian border, and in Turkey. While it was a joke, the underlying desire was obvious: In 2015, many people fleeing war and persecution took the dangerous sea route from Turkey to Greece in search of a new home in Europe. Germany accepted a large number of asylum-seekers and took a leading role in coordinating the EU’s response to handle the migrant crisis, thus becoming a symbol of a new "welcome culture" (in German: Willkommenskultur).

The positive attitude didn't last long – migration is a sensitive issue in European politics. Right-wing movements capitalized on this crisis by using it as an opportunity to rally voters by portraying refugees as alien threats to the continent. As a result, xenophobia dominated the debate and options were reduced to accept more refugees. A very clear outcome of this situation is that it destabilized the European political systems within member states and the Union as a whole. Dubious deals have been made between the EU, Turkey, and other countries to prevent migrants from crossing borders. These circumstances and decisions drove refugees to take more dangerous routes and left many stranded on Greek islands while living under very poor conditions. A young refugee in Greece subsumed the whole calamity as he wrote on his Polaroid picture: »I see only Humans, not Humanity.«

Charlotte sees the people she photographs as active participants in her work. She hands them a space to tell their own stories and to express themselves in their own words – mostly their native languages – in addition to the visual language of the photographs. This has made them co-authors and adds a dimension to the process that humanizes what otherwise is just a still picture. Charlotte reaches beyond the medium and the media and believes in the importance of using her role as a professional photographer to mediate positive change. Her work focuses on how activism can be part of the process rather than just the conventional creation of an image.

Through her works she brings contemporary social issues back to the public debate by presenting it in a new perspective, and in the process raising awareness and engaging a wider audience. This is especially important given that the most vulnerable among us are often not represented enough in mainstream media. Charlotte challenges prejudices and influences perceptions through photography. This work has not only noticeably politicized the artist further, but is also the source of her following works in using participatory approaches which challenge the traditional documentary perspectives. In recent years, Charlotte has both launched and participated in collaborative projects to help refugees in Europe.

Her work »Take me to Jermany« illustrates what we as humans have in common. Her unique artistic representation depicts the vulnerable yet relatable side of humanity.

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Bio
© Charlotte Schmitz
»Wasiem: I was on this«Lesvos, Greece
© Charlotte Schmitz
Lesvos, Greece
© Charlotte Schmitz
»I am going to Germany. Mohammad Kabir, 65, Afghanistan, Kabul«Lesvos, Greece
© Charlotte Schmitz
»Andy Elias«Lesvos, Greece
© Charlotte Schmitz
Lesvos, Greece
© Charlotte Schmitz
»Reza Rahmati. One of our last memories was this stormy weather. I was two hours on the boat. I am Reza and was two days in the mountain.«Lesvos, Greece
© Charlotte Schmitz
»Im alone.Sajid 17«Eidomeni, Greek/Macedonian border
© Charlotte Schmitz
»My father is here because of me and my future.Hamase, 8«Eidomeni, Greek/Macedonian border
© Charlotte Schmitz
»My uncle sold me to a man who raped me every day. I was promised a better life in Istanbul but they took my passport and forced me to work as a prostitute. Now I stand in front of a closed border. I dont know what to do now. Am Phiona«Eidomeni, Greek/Macedonian border
© Charlotte Schmitz
»I want peace everywhere on this earth.Samarange (36) - I am from Congo.«Eidomeni, Greek/Macedonian border
© Charlotte Schmitz
»Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Pakistan, Iran, Turkey, Greece.Pavel 24«Eidomeni, Greek/Macedonian border
© Charlotte Schmitz
»I see only humans not humanity.We met in Turkey and are travelling both since about 2 years. Dappy, Josh«Eidomeni, Greek/Macedonian border
© Charlotte Schmitz
»In Pakistan they tried to kill me. Am I dying in Moria?Gulfam Hassan, 33«Moria, refugee camp, Lesvos, Greece
© Charlotte Schmitz
»I have been in Morai for seven month, my children are in Germany waiting for me. I am Malak from Syria, 47 years old«Lesvos, Greece
© Charlotte Schmitz
»I miss him. I want my son Ali!! He is in Germany alone. I didn't see him since two years. Manal Banna.«Izmir, Turkey
© Charlotte Schmitz
»I wish a big future for my children. Jana and Sana.«Izmir, Turkey
© Charlotte Schmitz
»I wish... I wish... I wish... Fayhaa Mostaf Idlip«Izmir, Turkey
© Charlotte Schmitz
»My love to my son and to live with him made me risk my life because I prevented him from the death in Syria.«Izmir, Turkey
© Charlotte Schmitz
»The visa is separating me from my family«Izmir, Turkey
© Charlotte Schmitz
(41993) unknownIzmir, Turkey
© Charlotte Schmitz
(41640) unknownIzmir, Turkey
© Charlotte Schmitz
»My house«Kirikhan, Hatay, Turkish/Syrian border
© Charlotte Schmitz
»This is our house in Syria.Asmaa (12), Rabea (9), Raoah (8)«Kirikhan, Hatay, Turkish/Syrian border
© Charlotte Schmitz
»I live in Turkey to work and to feed my children. I was studying history in Syria at Aleppo University. I used to teach at a school. Saisal Wallo. I am 29 years old«Kirikhan, Hatay, Turkish/Syrian border
© Charlotte Schmitz
»Maher 10«Kirikhan, Hatay, Turkish/Syrian border
© Charlotte Schmitz
»Hey! Take me to Jermany. Mansour, Afghanistan«Lesvos, Greece
© Charlotte Schmitz
»I love Star Wars. I am not happy from Lageso*. Soheil Khan. Afghanistan, Baghlan« Berlin, Germany
December 2015

 *refugee registration office
© Charlotte Schmitz
»I smoke because of Lageso (refugee registration center in Berlin). Husin, Irak«Berlin, Germany
© Charlotte Schmitz
»I would like to live my life with this lovely woman in this nice country. Azizi Shabnan - Azizi Abdul Shahi«Berlin, Germany
© Charlotte Schmitz
»I love Germany more then u Love Germany«Lesvos, Greece
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Charlotte Schmitz

Charlotte Schmitz

Germany

Charlotte has developed very consistent and original work about the issues that affect her as a young contemporary woman. She is building a very interesting narrative using compelling images to convey a deliberately personal approach. She has given proof of her courage in experimenting with new languages that challenge the traditional documentary perspective. Her work brings a breath of fresh air to the classic way of exposing contemporary issues.
– Cristina de Middel Puch

Charlotte Schmitz studied photojournalism and documentary photography at the University of Applied Sciences and Arts in Hanover. While living in Istanbul for two years, she worked for several german and international media outlets. Charlotte speaks six languages, including Turkish and Spanish. She is a member of Agence Le Journal.

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