The acclaimed art installation UNPACKED: Refugee Baggage opened for one month at UNICEF House on 5 December.

By International Organization for Migration Reprint | | Print |

NEW YORK, Dec 7 2017 - UNPACKED showcases testimonies of refugees resettled in the US. These testimonies tell their struggles and triumphs using suitcases; a testament to their resilience and powerful journeys.

The exhibition also inspires viewers to redefine and expand the meaning of the word refugee.

On July 25th, 2006, in the middle of the night, Ahmed Badr’s house in Baghdad was bombed. He was 7 years old, the missile tore the house in half, going through three natural gas canisters which his family had emptied out two days before…

On October 28th, 2014, Mohamad Hafez’ sister left her house in Damascus and decided to find a new future for herself and her husband. In the middle of the night, they travelled through the Mediterranean on a rubber raft with 50 people. That day, when they arrived, they became refugees in Sweden…

Ahmed, an Iraqi-born writer and former refugee, and Mohamad, an architect and artist from Syria now live in the US. Together, they’ve created UNPACKED: refugee baggage.