Refugio Berlin

A place for community and harmony

Artwork by Yaser

Today we share the story of Refugio Berlin, where people looking for a new home and a new life in the German capital have been living and working together since summer 2015. It's a place of community and harmony for native and new Berliners, refugees and non-refugees.

Among the artists working there, are Yaser, from Syria and Elliot, from Australia.

Two artists from different backgrounds, working side by side within this diverse and dynamic community. This is a beautiful illustration of the power of intercultural cooperation and dialogue: how people from different walks of life can come together to create meaningful work.

At Humans in the EU, we deeply share this belief: that artists working together will be a game changer in writing the story of a diverse, tolerant and progressive Europe.

Creating together in a common space leads to more empathy and more cohesion between people, as shown by the artists’ words themselves:

Yaser @yasersafi_artworks is a visual artist from Syria:“ the individuals here come from diverse cultural backgrounds. This allows for interaction, dialogue and reduces the boundaries drawn by some of the prejudiced policies in the world.”

Elliot @elliot_beaumont is an illustrator from Australia: "Having my studio here has been a grounding haven during an otherwise unstable year. There is a great sense of community here and it’s been really interesting meeting people who come from all over the world."

Artwork by Elliot