Between borders

Paste-up, acrylic and print on paper, 600 cm x 300 cm, Turin, Italy 2017

In 2017, thousands of children were recorded crossing borders alone, without family protection or adult guardianship. According to UNICEF and UNHCR, unaccompanied and separated minors continued to represent one of the most vulnerable groups within global migration movements, with tens of thousands seeking asylum or protection across different regions of the world.

This project is dedicated to all the children who travel alone in search of safety—who cross borders without a hand to hold, carrying more than any child ever should. It reflects on the condition of childhood in displacement: the silence of borders as seen through the eyes of those who are too young to fully understand why they must cross them, but old enough to endure their consequences.

Part of the Waves of the Heroes project, initiated in 2015, this work traces Sibomana’s journey along key migrant routes across Europe, including Lesbos Island, Athens, Istanbul, Berlin, Rome, Torino, London, Idomeni, Thessaloniki, and Nicosia. Through posters and paintings, he brought his art directly into the spaces shaped by migration, engaging with the lived realities of people seeking safety, peace, and freedom.

The project remains ongoing, reflecting a journey that is still unfolding and a road that is still long.

“Art is emotion; my aim is to try to convey this emotion to people, to trigger a reflection on the theme of migration, beyond what they read in newspapers.”