The exhibition is the result of a lively and exciting project led by the Spanish-Brazilian photographer Angélica Dass. It has involved the participation of 196 students of Compulsory Secondary Education (ESO) and Baccalaureate from six public schools in Bilbao: IES Ibarrekolanda, IES Txurdinaga Behekoa BHI, Centro Formativo Otxarkoaga, IES Martín Bertendona BHI, IES Miguel de Unamuno and IES Artabe, who have created a migratory family tree from personal memories and stories, family albums and archives.

The exhibition includes a mural with more than 300 portraits, accounts of their stories and other photographs of representative objects. An ‘interactive wall’ designed to encourage participation and the creation of a collective piece in real time invites visitors to share their own migration story and, in addition to doing so in situ, they will be able to transmit it online under the exhibition hashtag #gurezuhaitza.

Maps and graphs will illustrate the origin of the migrant communities in Bilbao yesterday and today. The exhibition is accompanied by a selection of books on migration of different genres, including the publication of the initiative, located in the exhibition hall itself for public consultation, in what is intended to become a space for meeting, reflection and conversation between generations.

The artistic approach invites reflection on the premise that migration is not simply a social phenomenon, but an intrinsic characteristic of the human condition, and aims to foster a playful exchange to discover and connect our own migratory stories with those represented in the exhibition.

Sustrairik gabeko zuhaitzak ez du aurrera egiten – Un árbol sin raíces no prospera (A tree without roots does not prosper) was created within the framework of the Art for Change programme of the La Caixa Foundation to promote art and culture as drivers of change and addresses universal themes such as migration, equality and diversity.

Angélica Dass

Born in Rio de Janeiro, Angélica Dass is an award-winning Spanish-Brazilian photographer and activist committed to inclusion and equality who, through art, addresses issues of identity, prejudice and cultural diversity.

Her work, situated at an intersection between art and social consciousness, combines photography with sociological research and public participation in the defence of human rights around the world.

She is also an inspirational speaker who has lectured at major organisations such as TED, the University of Salamanca, the University of Bologna; as well as at the Tate Modern, National Geographic and the World Economic Forum, as a cultural leader.