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Thursday 10 december 2020 locAl
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Civic integration as art: the absurdity of

integrating as a Venezuelan in Aruba

Expositie in Zuid-Korea van het project ‘Between Two Waters’
By Caribisch Netwerk negative) experiences as a
ORANJESTAD - “Integration Venezuelan on the island
in Aruba is pretty absurd. that are related to the situ- Increasing discrimination immigration at the airport
You have to comply with ation in his native country, The artist refers to his most (Aruba has a pre-clearing “Venezuelans are now the
rules that are not even from González devised a new recent experience with system for America), and lowest layer in Aruban so-
here, but from the Nether- art method: integration as what he sees again as evi- had a stamp in my passport ciety. We are good for sex,
lands. And if you are talk- art and art as integration. dence of increasing dis- from the Aruban immigra- cheap work that no one
ing about Aruban culture; crimination on the island tion. But then the Aruban wants to do, many times
at Christmas they tradition- With success, because af- against Venezuelans. “I immigration officer refused work that is then not paid.
ally eat ayaca here. That ter years of struggling to would fly to Miami on busi- to let me leave. ” He has I'm not saying this as xeno-
dish comes from Venezu- get funding for his work on ness. The US allows me be- been working for weeks to phobic; my children are
ela. ” the island, he got it from cause I have a business get clarification from the half Aruban and my Aru-
the Netherlands. As a re- visa. Moreover, US, likewise Aruban government. Jus- ban family allowed me to
Nelson González is an art- sult, he has exhibited work more than 60 countries in tice Minister Andin Bikker further develop myself as
ist, born in Venezuela and in Cuba, Santo Domingo, the world, has an agree- says that if Venezuelans an artist. But it is unfortu-
17 years residing in Aruba. the Netherlands and even ment that Venezuelans have a valid residence per- nate that the value of Ven-
He is married to an Aruban South Korea, among oth- can also enter with expired mit, their identity is known, ezuelans as people and in-
and has four children. “Her ers. “So I represent Aruba passports. ” and are admitted to the dividuals is determined by
family was very happy that abroad, but without their country of destination, the political and economic
I came from outside. Be- contribution because I re- After all, Venezuela has they will also be admitted situation. ”
cause on the island almost ceive support for my art two governments and to Aruba with an expired
everyone is related. ” from the Netherlands. But the situation makes it very passport. Where this went González does have hope:
for the Aruban immigra- difficult for Venezuelans wrong with González re- "I am sure that if things go
Because of this embrace tion officer recently, I am abroad to get their pass- mains unknown, as the jus- well in Venezuela as it was
of his Aruban family, but considered a Venezuelan ports renewed. González: tice department only gives 35 years ago, that appre-
at the same time his (often again. ” “I had already passed US vague answers. ciation will come again."q

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