In the city of Agrigento in Sicily, Jungleye and the photographer Carla Sutera Sardo brought together two polarised groups of teenagers, aged fifteen to seventeen. Some are Sicilian students in school. Others are migrants – trap- ped in the city’s Retention Center, they reached the coasts of Sicily following a dangerous and perilous journey crossing the Mediterranean Sea from North Africa.
For three weeks they worked on the topic of “Photofit”. This facial composite is typically used as an investigation tool by the law enforcement. Within the framework of the workshop, the Photofit technique was subverted in order to give a new identity to those who lost it while fleeing their country. Photography was then used as a tool for intercultural conflict resolution by opening up a dialogue about image and identity. This particular technique of portraiture was also a way to confront the obstacle regarding privacy rights for the unaccompanied youths.
The young, shared their stories by creating a whole new face scarred by photocollage. Using the eye of a Sicilian student, the nose of a Libyan migrant, and the mouth of their Senegalese friend, a new character appeared. Similarly to the game Exquisite Corpse, a magic story is collaboratively written, mixing their emotions with their memories and imagination. Ultimately conceiving a new identity.
