Hugging his knees and clad in a bright orange life vest, the giant “Inflatable Refugee” looks vulnerable as he sits alone in a sea of empty red velvet chairs. Belgian visual artists Schellekens & Peleman, who created the figure in 2015 following the refugee crisis in Europe, have brought the installation to Barcelona's Gran Teatre del Liceu opera house in hopes of once again calling attention to the plight of refugees.
The 6-meter (20-foot) -tall inflatable figure, made of the same material as the delicate rubber boats used by smugglers to send migrants to European shores, will be on public display for opera goers until June 28 in the theater's hall of mirrors. The artists hope that its outsize dimensions will force people to reflect about their perception of asylum seekers.
