Shipwreck of Dreams embarks on a human journey in search of belonging, reimagining a little-known ancient myth about a wish-granting boat on Switzerland’s Lake Geneva.
The project traces and rephotographs the history of Autonome Schule, a Zurich-based, self-organised school that emerged in 2008 through an alliance of migrants and locals in response to restrictive asylum laws. Since then, the school has become a political project against racism and social injustice. Its history has been shaped by the search for a (free) space where to belong, with squatting, relocations, and solidarity at its core.
Through collaborative paper-ship portraits, storytelling, photography, drawings, archival materials, moving images, and words, Shipwreck of Dreams uncovers the wisdom of the school’s interconnected perspectives as they converge at the crossroads of European migration policies.
Each story and image echoes the myth’s timeless promise of hope, inviting viewers to reflect on the complex realities of migration and community. By weaving the myth with the school’s lived journey, Shipwreck of Dreams presents a layered counter-narrative of resilience and the universal quest for home.
