Offside
Hiring an illegal immigrant to play hide-and-seek within the space and duration of an exhibition.
Initiator(s)
Núria Güell
Description
'Offside hired an illegal immigrant to play hide-and-seek within the space and duration of the exhibition. This working contract removed the need for him to hide from the police in his everyday life because the contract provided him with the opportunity to ask for legal immigration papers. The contract was made in one of the numerous places in town where unemployed immigrants meet at dawn to offer themselves as cheap labour. In this piece I implement a common strategy of capitalism: to use the play-based aspect of games as a cover for social, political and/or economic purposes.’ (N. Güell)
Goals
‘Allow the African immigrant who was hired, to apply for his residence permit and therefore become legal in Spain. On a pedagogical level, I am interested in making visible the legal strategy that other citizens in the same situation could use.’ (N. Güell)
Beneficial outcomes
‘The immigrant was able to receive his residence permit and by this action, he did not need to hide from the police anymore. He no longer needed to live with a permanent fear of being taken to an immigrant centre or being deported to his country of origin. He also had a work contract and a month salary.’ (N. Güell)
Location
Spain
Users
Núria Güell, the hired immigrant
Maintained by
Produced by DINA4 cultural association
Duration
2011
Category
Scientific
Pedagogical
Politics
Urban Development
Economy
Environment
Social
