Illegal Beauty is a cultural network with social ambitions, creating ongoing collaboration among individuals, communities and organizations dealing with people without papers. The non-profit organisation aims to stimulate an intelligent and critical discussion about the legal invisibility of humans. They question the term illegal immigrant and how rights are taken away:

“Without rights, the person becomes non-existent. In other words, a human being is exiled from society in the eyes of the law. But how can a human be invisible? How can a person not exist? When the government decides that a person is illegal, it doesn’t mean that he or she stops living. So called illegal people often live among us without human dignity and difficulties to satisfy basic human needs.”

Apart from recent political issues, they want to approach this sensitive and difficult subject from the angle of beauty. They believe that the contrasting association of creativity and illegal residents will bring an unexpected angle and contribute to recent political discussions. They believe that using cultural diversity as a channel and a tool, emphasize its own problems and values. Letting people express their story, showing their capacities and unique skills will allow them to be equal players in social interaction and not some misfit dependant on constant support. A product of culture is exactly what the term implies, a product made independently, regardless of the legal status of its creator.

The question is: how can a product of culture be illegal?

“Due to a lack of information and a mostly negative approach towards those “invisible” members of society, the collective debate of the asylum seekers and their political rights are tainted with negative preconceptions. The marginalization of those temporary nomads has caused a grey image to surface, and does not meet the image we associate with the beauty and richness of other cultures. You could argue that, as a society, we have taken up a hypocrite stance: on one hand, we please our desires when we taste the beauty of different cultures and exotic places as tourists, when on the other hand, we look down upon the people coming from these same countries when they ask for integration or shelter in our own countries.”

Their message is not about political demands. Rather, it entails such things as power, freedom, equality and beauty about the persons behind the people without papers. Their primary aim is to question and open up the discussion. The wider picture is to create a better social understanding and to show the beauty and positive potential of interaction between cultures.

Illegal Beauty inquires into the inner power of individual skills, knowledge, dreams. They attempt to open up the debate through art, literature, music, design and cultural events and invite designers, artists from various fields and involved parties to contribute their visions.

The people behind this project develop also other projects concerning social engagement and sustainability aspects, here:

www.designforfuture.org

www.the-home-project.com