The Seven Follies of Lampedusa

The project researches the consequences of the "borderization" narrative on the island of Lampedusa, one of the main arrival points for migrants on the Mediterranean route. Seven follies in the island's landscape define a physical and metaphorical line alternative to the border, challenging the status quo in relation to borders and migration.

This project traces an imaginary line between Tripoli, the main point of departure for immigrants reaching Lampedusa, and Amsterdam, the place where the project was conceived. This line passes right through the island. \nJust like borders between countries are based on imaginary lines that become real through social construction, my line on Lampedusa is made real by the construction of seven architectural follies. The follies can be interpreted as a journey through the peculiarities of the island, which are interconnected, and as the embodiment of an ancient story that can be told from multiple perspectives. The journey through the follies is not predetermined: there is neither a beginning nor an end. The follies' architectural language is inspired by the vernacular architecture of the Mediterranean basin. The simple but powerful forms, to which all Mediterranean peoples can relate, become the physical proof of cultural linkage.\nThe historical role of Lampedusa as a stepping stone is revived in opposition to the contemporary narrative of the “border island”. Stripped from any functionality, the follies are a place to feel and meditate, (re)experience private emotions, and discover their relation with wider societal issues. Each folly offers a new perspective on migration and borders, and each of them offers an experience that characterizes the dangerous journey across the sea. They collectively serve as a reminder that every human being is on a journey.\nThe seven follies carry visitors and inhabitants into landscapes off the beaten path. They provide new public spaces, devoid of institutional power and superimposed programs. Just like in 1843 the Bourbon kings of Sicily built seven palaces on Lampedusa, overlooking the bay's natural harbor, and these palaces became the center of urban development on the island, the seven follies represent the hope for a new period of social and human development, where the role of Lampedusa as a stepping stone in the Mediterranean is not abused, but cherished.