Shipwreck of Dreams embarks on a human journey in search of belonging, reimagining a little-known ancient myth about a wish-granting boat on Switzerland’s Lake Geneva. The project retraces and rephotographs the history of Autonome Schule, a Zurich-based, self-organised school that emerged in 2008 through an alliance of migrants and locals in response to restrictive asylum laws. Since then, the school has become a political project against racism and social injustice. Its history has been shaped by the search for a (free) space to belong, with squatting, relocations, and solidarity at its core.
Through collaborative paper-ship portraits, storytelling, photography, drawings, archival materials, moving images, and words, Shipwreck of Dreams uncovers the wisdom of the school’s interconnected perspectives as they converge at the crossroads of European migration policies. Each story and image echoes the myth’s timeless promise of hope, inviting viewers to reflect on the complex realities of migration and community. By weaving the myth with the school’s lived journey, Shipwreck of Dreams presents a layered counter-narrative of resilience and the universal quest for home.
Emilio Nasser is a photographer based in Switzerland and Argentina whose work intertwines local histories, oral traditions, and collective memory, combining research and collaboration to create myth-infused documentaries and counter-narratives. Trained at the Spilimbergo School of Applied Arts in Argentina, Emilio has expanded his practice through interdisciplinary labs and workshops in visual arts and social sciences. Co-editor of Brote, a fanzine dedicated to food narratives, he explores the intersections of culinary and visual storytelling. His practice has earned support from the Aarguaer Kuratorium, Duke University's Archive of Documentary Arts, and Argentina's National Fund for the Arts, with recent exhibitions at Photoforum Pasquart, Duke University, and participation in major photography festivals across Europe and Latin America.