Pozzallo Pirates: The Belgian artist who made headlines with his installation designed to raise awareness about the plight of Mediterranean migrants.
A Belgium artist has created an installation that serves as a wake-up call for Northern Europe: the immigrants who die trying crossing the Mediterranean to reach Europe’s shores are not just Italy’s problem.
In the little town of Ofstend, locals wake up to the sight of 18 coffins on their shoreline. “Touching and beautiful”, said one. Inspired by a funeral of 18 migrants in the city of Pozzallo in Sicily, a group of Belgian activists and 15 former boat refugees placed coffins with nametags on the Belgian beach, accompanied by testimonies from boat refugees in this “guerrilla stunt”, as they call it.