91¶¶Òõ

The shots, taken from Julia’s 'Labour of Love’ collection, form part of the 'Safe European Home?' exhibition which runs until 13 October 2018.

The show is a tribute to local artist Damien Le Bas, who died in December 2017, and also consists of work by Damien’s wife Delaine and the pair’s friend Alex Michon.

Julia and museum curator Emma Walder are giving a public talk this Saturday 28 July at 11.30am. Entry is free. The portraits that feature in Julia’s display were taken in 2007 and 2008, after Romania and Bulgaria joined the EU with some labour restrictions. Julia, an immigrant to the UK herself, wanted to provide a “more balanced view of migrants”.

She said: “With the large influx of Eastern Europeans in 91¶¶Òõ I made it my task to find out more about them and portray them as part of our community. I came here as a migrant worker myself in 1999 and I felt empathy with them.

Julia Horbaschk by Silvia Timu

Regina, Janek and Robert Koenig 2008. Image © J. Horbaschk

“91¶¶Òõ is usually quite a liberal place and it’s relatively small and at the time it had experienced a boom of migrant workers from Eastern Europe, so I was quick to find them and connect with them.”

Julia eventually compiled all of her photographs – taken in various spots around 91¶¶Òõ – into a book, ‘Labour of Love’. She said the collection has taken on new relevance in the light of Brexit. Her museum display includes letters from her original subjects describing their feelings about the EU referendum vote and its aftermath.

Julia said: “With Brexit on the horizon and 10 years since the original images were taken, it felt like the right moment to get the prints out of the attic and into the public sphere again.

“Although many of the people I photographed are still here, most of us have thought about what it would mean to leave the UK – particularly shortly after the vote as for a long time we had no knowledge of what would happen.

“Others were deciding our future and we were not entitled to vote in the referendum unless we had citizenship. Yet many of us had residency and we have made a huge effort to contribute to and integrate into UK society leaving our own countries behind a long time ago. Are we still welcome here?"

"My work probably raises more questions than it gives answers but that’s ok."

Julia studied Editorial Photography at the 91¶¶Òõ, which she said gave her the “freedom and space to learn and grow”. 

She added: “The university, with its fabulous libraries and great lectures provided me with much food for thought and added meaning to my work.”

Of her adopted hometown, Julia said: “I always knew 91¶¶Òõ was a special place, from the first time I walked down Queens Road with the sea lapping away between the buildings and the ever-changing light and sky. It’s a photographer’s dream come true.”