This work is about celebrating migrants. I interviewed 16 people who all came to Vienna from abroad, including students, refugees and immigrants. They came from Afghanistan, Syria, Iran, Kosovo, Palestine, Ghana, China, Korea, Japan, Germany, Sweden, and Mexico. I asked them about their home countries and wanted to hear them speak in their native tongues. While listening to these interviews, I felt their longing for all the things that they have left behind in their native lands.
I saw connections among Vienna, New York and Japan. In particular, I noticed that Vienna’s interiors and exteriors overflow with golden ornamental patterns. This reminded me of the gold leaf in temples and castles in Japan and Art Deco style architectures like Rockefeller Center and Chrysler Building in New York. This link among 3 countries, the culturally rich golden color, left a strong mark in my mind and inspired.
