mirador

Around the southernmost tip of Europe, the European and African continent almost seem to touch. That's why the Strait of Gibraltar is an important migration route, not only for the migratory birds spotted there, but also for refugees trying to reach Europe. At the Mirador del Estrecho panoramic lookout point tourists gather to take pictures of the stunning panorama, and comment on the view of Africa that they're offered.

Mirador is centered around the act of watching itself. Like silent witnesses the tourist, the immigrant, the audience and the camera look at the landscape and indirectly at each other. They look to the other side, facing a continent that appears like a fata morgana. While being sold a dream in a world of increasing mobility and globalisation, this situation of 'we' versus 'they' and 'here' versus 'there' reveals the postcolonial gaze.