According to the Berlin Senate Youth Administration, in the year of 2023 far more than 2200 young people without legal guardians arrived in Berlin. They are between 15 and 17 years old and usually have arduous journeys behind them and often struggle with traumatic experiences. There is a lack of accommodation, school places, social workers and guardians. Dreams in Germany is a long-term portrait project, the ongoing series shows multilayered collage-papercut-portraits Reis shoots of young refugees in Germany after conducting interviews about their past and present as well as their dreams for the future. Each portrait consists of several layers, walk-in photo collages of young people with different escape stories. They share their previous experiences in Germany: what is their personal “German Dream”? Dreams in Germany is shortlisted and winner of the Art Cube Prize 2024.
Saskia Reis is a visual artist and cultural journalist. Reis’s photo-collage-papercut portraits examine human complexity and the multidimensionality of character. Overlapping memories from the past, formative experiences of the present and dreams for the future overlap – the dissected images reveal as much as they hold secrets; her portraits inspire the viewer to look beyond the surface. She studied Journalism in Hannover, Germany, holds a Master’s degree with distinction from the University of the Arts London, and is trained at Universität der Künste Berlin and in the storytelling department at Süddeutsche Zeitung. She also teaches journalistic photography and creativity at Hannover University of Applied Sciences and Arts, Germany. She is a member of photography collective AFF Galerie and Berlin Collage Platform.
Artwork: Dreams in Germany 2023 // Photo collage portrait installation // COLLAGE IN PUBLIC SPACE 2024 // park La Ciotat
Artworks in Layer House Gallery: Stella II (1), Saskia (1)
