Amir Berbi膰 gives a new life to the story of his family鈥檚 experience in a Bosnian refugee camp in Denmark in the 1990s through the series of designs presented in this exhibition. Sahara: Acts of Memory illuminates the power of graphic design to suggest new ways of perceiving and living in the world, and it also reminds us of the discipline鈥檚 ability to give form to concepts, ideas, and memories.
In 1993, during the war in Bosnia, Hika and Ismet Berbi膰, with their two sons Amir and Isak, fled their home in Sarajevo, ultimately arriving at a refugee camp in N忙sbyhoved-Broby, Denmark, where they lived for over a year. Shortly after their arrival, Ismet, a graphic designer, set out on a project to brand the camp. He named the camp 鈥淪ahara鈥濃攁n ironic gesture referring to the sandy ground on which their tents were constructed, in marked contrast to the Danish countryside around them鈥攁nd created a logo for it at a makeshift design studio in the corner of the tent his family shared with two other families. Hika and Ismet also organized a school for the children and worked to shape Sahara鈥檚 social life. Their efforts were instrumental in establishing a community among the refugees.
When faced with images of Syrian refugees fleeing their country in 2015, Amir, also a graphic designer, began reflecting on his childhood experience as a refugee. Over the next several years, he created a new version of Sahara鈥攁 new logo, a series of posters, and textbook covers鈥攖hat constructs a new understanding of his family鈥檚 time in Denmark. Presented in two galleries, this exhibition spans the life of Sahara from 1993 to today. In one gallery, Amir reflects on the original refugee camp from 1993, tracing the outline of the tent鈥檚 interior and presenting historic artifacts including a series of original drawings his father created at Sahara. Another gallery presents Amir鈥檚 new Sahara through the design of a new logo, posters, and textbook covers that reflect on his experience and consolidate his family鈥檚 memories. Amir鈥檚 designs are a testament to how his father鈥檚 designs for Sahara shaped his family鈥檚 experience, demonstrating the multivalent power of design. Through Amir鈥檚 acts of memory, Sahara endures.
