This bilingual exhibition, created for World Refugee Day, invites us to follow the journey of asylum seekers, from their countries of origin to the recognition of their refugee status in Canada.

Through interviews, documentaries, and poems, visitors are immersed in the experiences of asylum seekers and learn about the administrative requirements they face once they arrive in our country. As a signatory to the Convention, Canada must fulfill certain obligations and commit to providing asylum seekers with fair and equitable treatment. While the Canadian system offers more acceptable conditions than those of other countries regarding refugee protection, the exhibition nonetheless highlights certain shortcomings, such as administrative delays and the fallibility of decision-makers.

The exhibition is organized into five sections, beginning with an introduction to the 1951 Geneva Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and a global overview of the refugee issue worldwide, followed by a visit to the offices of Citizenship and Immigration Canada, where the voices of applicants, the Canadian government, and professionals working in refugee aid organizations intertwine. In the third section, very short texts written by workers who work closely with asylum seekers recount the tragic stories of these men, women, and children who anxiously await the chance to start a new life. The fourth section, the hearing, offers a glimpse into this closed-door proceeding that will determine their future, and the final section explores what happens next, once a decision has been made—whether it’s returning home or moving on to the next stage, such as permanent residency, awaiting a child from a parent, or searching for a job.

Both educational and reflective, this exhibition serves as a backdrop for meaningful discussions about our hospitality and how it manifests within our sociopolitical system. It also helps debunk certain prejudices by engaging with those directly affected.

I also created a traveling version of this exhibition. Over the following years, it was presented at several educational institutions, including the Université du Québec à Montréal, MacDonald College, Dawson College, and the Cégep du Vieux-Montréal.