Pietro Bulfoni

IIn 2015, Tarek, a man in his 30s, arrived in Austria after fleeing Syria with his family. To be completely frank, Tarek had never heard about the Krampuslauf, the Maibaum, the Fasnacht, the Bergfeuer, the Almabtrieb, the Neujahrskonzert, the Fronleichnamsumzüge, Klimt, the Allerheligen, the Gauder Fest, the Jodeln, Freud, the Stille Nacht , the Schuachplattln, Mozart, Princess Sissi, the Wiener Walzer, the Kaiserschmarren, Hermann Maier, the Sacher tort, Falco, the Osterratschen, the Philippinacht, or the Brautstehlen. The only Austrian thing Tarek had ever heard of before his arrival, was Arnold Schwarzenegger. In 2015 the intensity of refugee movements caused a massive crisis of the European border regime. Most refugees fleeing Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria took a long and extenuating march to find refuge in the wealthy countries of the European Union. For a big part of them integration has not been easy (and still isn’t) having had almost no common trait with their new Alpine homeland. One tradition however, ties this small landlocked country in the Alps, to a far way middle-eastern area: bodybuilding. This sport, considered as the national sport in both Afghanistan and Iraq (and widely popular in Syria), led hundreds of its escaping citizens, to be inspired by its most famous athlete, at the same time one of the most successful examples of self-made-man. From a small village to Governor of California, from 0s to heroes, from rags to riches. This is the story of a self-centered sport, accidentally becoming the possible tool of integration for those pursuing a path to success in a foreign land.

In 2015, Tarek, a man in his 30s, arrived in Austria after fleeing Syria with his family. To be completely frank, Tarek had never heard about the Krampuslauf, the Maibaum, the Fasnacht, the Bergfeuer, the Almabtrieb, the Neujahrskonzert, the Fronleichnamsumzüge, Klimt, the Allerheligen, the Gauder Fest, the Jodeln, Freud, the Stille Nacht , the Schuachplattln, Mozart, Princess Sissi, the Wiener Walzer, the Kaiserschmarren, Hermann Maier, the Sacher tort, Falco, the Osterratschen, the Philippinacht, or the Brautstehlen. The only Austrian thing Tarek had ever heard of before his arrival, was Arnold Schwarzenegger. In 2015 the intensity of refugee movements caused a massive crisis of the European border regime. Most refugees fleeing Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria took a long and extenuating march to find refuge in the wealthy countries of the European Union. For a big part of them integration has not been easy (and still isn’t) having had almost no common trait with their new Alpine homeland. One tradition however, ties this small landlocked country in the Alps, to a far way middle-eastern area: bodybuilding. This sport, considered as the national sport in both Afghanistan and Iraq (and widely popular in Syria), led hundreds of its escaping citizens, to be inspired by its most famous athlete, at the same time one of the most successful examples of self-made-man. From a small village to Governor of California, from 0s to heroes, from rags to riches. This is the story of a self-centered sport, accidentally becoming the possible tool of integration for those pursuing a path to success in a foreign land. Tarek, once a national bodybuilding champion in Syria, has come to Austria to seek refugee without knowing anything else than the iconic Austrian bodybuilder, he intends to continue building up as well as integrating in this new land. If you want to integrate in the small country of Austria, you better get Big. While geographical limits tighten up, there might still be some room to stretch.

In 2015, Tarek, a man in his 30s, arrived in Austria after fleeing Syria with his family. To be completely frank, Tarek had never heard about the Krampuslauf, the Maibaum, the Fasnacht, the Bergfeuer, the Almabtrieb, the Neujahrskonzert, the Fronleichnamsumzüge, Klimt, the Allerheligen, the Gauder Fest, the Jodeln, Freud, the Stille Nacht , the Schuachplattln, Mozart, Princess Sissi, the Wiener Walzer, the Kaiserschmarren, Hermann Maier, the Sacher tort, Falco, the Osterratschen, the Philippinacht, or the Brautstehlen. The only Austrian thing Tarek had ever heard of before his arrival, was Arnold Schwarzenegger. In 2015 the intensity of refugee movements caused a massive crisis of the European border regime. Most refugees fleeing Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria took a long and extenuating march to find refuge in the wealthy countries of the European Union. For a big part of them integration has not been easy (and still isn’t) having had almost no common trait with their new Alpine homeland. One tradition however, ties this small landlocked country in the Alps, to a far way middle-eastern area: bodybuilding. This sport, considered as the national sport in both Afghanistan and Iraq (and widely popular in Syria), led hundreds of its escaping citizens, to be inspired by its most famous athlete, at the same time one of the most successful examples of self-made-man. From a small village to Governor of California, from 0s to heroes, from rags to riches. This is the story of a self-centered sport, accidentally becoming the possible tool of integration for those pursuing a path to success in a foreign land. Tarek, once a national bodybuilding champion in Syria, has come to Austria to seek refugee without knowing anything else than the iconic Austrian bodybuilder, he intends to continue building up as well as integrating in this new land. If you want to integrate in the small country of Austria, you better get Big. While geographical limits tighten up, there might still be some room to stretch.

In 2015, Tarek, a man in his 30s, arrived in Austria after fleeing Syria with his family. To be completely frank, Tarek had never heard about the Krampuslauf, the Maibaum, the Fasnacht, the Bergfeuer, the Almabtrieb, the Neujahrskonzert, the Fronleichnamsumzüge, Klimt, the Allerheligen, the Gauder Fest, the Jodeln, Freud, the Stille Nacht , the Schuachplattln, Mozart, Princess Sissi, the Wiener Walzer, the Kaiserschmarren, Hermann Maier, the Sacher tort, Falco, the Osterratschen, the Philippinacht, or the Brautstehlen. The only Austrian thing Tarek had ever heard of before his arrival, was Arnold Schwarzenegger. In 2015 the intensity of refugee movements caused a massive crisis of the European border regime. Most refugees fleeing Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria took a long and extenuating march to find refuge in the wealthy countries of the European Union. For a big part of them integration has not been easy (and still isn’t) having had almost no common trait with their new Alpine homeland. One tradition however, ties this small landlocked country in the Alps, to a far way middle-eastern area: bodybuilding. This sport, considered as the national sport in both Afghanistan and Iraq (and widely popular in Syria), led hundreds of its escaping citizens, to be inspired by its most famous athlete, at the same time one of the most successful examples of self-made-man. From a small village to Governor of California, from 0s to heroes, from rags to riches. This is the story of a self-centered sport, accidentally becoming the possible tool of integration for those pursuing a path to success in a foreign land. Tarek, once a national bodybuilding champion in Syria, has come to Austria to seek refugee without knowing anything else than the iconic Austrian bodybuilder, he intends to continue building up as well as integrating in this new land. If you want to integrate in the small country of Austria, you better get Big. While geographical limits tighten up, there might still be some room to stretch.

In 2015, Tarek, a man in his 30s, arrived in Austria after fleeing Syria with his family. To be completely frank, Tarek had never heard about the Krampuslauf, the Maibaum, the Fasnacht, the Bergfeuer, the Almabtrieb, the Neujahrskonzert, the Fronleichnamsumzüge, Klimt, the Allerheligen, the Gauder Fest, the Jodeln, Freud, the Stille Nacht , the Schuachplattln, Mozart, Princess Sissi, the Wiener Walzer, the Kaiserschmarren, Hermann Maier, the Sacher tort, Falco, the Osterratschen, the Philippinacht, or the Brautstehlen. The only Austrian thing Tarek had ever heard of before his arrival, was Arnold Schwarzenegger. In 2015 the intensity of refugee movements caused a massive crisis of the European border regime. Most refugees fleeing Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria took a long and extenuating march to find refuge in the wealthy countries of the European Union. For a big part of them integration has not been easy (and still isn’t) having had almost no common trait with their new Alpine homeland. One tradition however, ties this small landlocked country in the Alps, to a far way middle-eastern area: bodybuilding. This sport, considered as the national sport in both Afghanistan and Iraq (and widely popular in Syria), led hundreds of its escaping citizens, to be inspired by its most famous athlete, at the same time one of the most successful examples of self-made-man. From a small village to Governor of California, from 0s to heroes, from rags to riches. This is the story of a self-centered sport, accidentally becoming the possible tool of integration for those pursuing a path to success in a foreign land. Tarek, once a national bodybuilding champion in Syria, has come to Austria to seek refugee without knowing anything else than the iconic Austrian bodybuilder, he intends to continue building up as well as integrating in this new land. If you want to integrate in the small country of Austria, you better get Big. While geographical limits tighten up, there might still be some room to stretch.

Installation shot from the graduation show.

Installaion shot of the exhibition which took place in the bunker of Udine.

From the seris shot inside the BHRT Media in Sarajevo.

In 2015, Tarek, a man in his 30s, arrived in Austria after fleeing Syria with his family. To be completely frank, Tarek had never heard about the Krampuslauf, the Maibaum, the Fasnacht, the Bergfeuer, the Almabtrieb, the Neujahrskonzert, the Fronleichnamsumzüge, Klimt, the Allerheligen, the Gauder Fest, the Jodeln, Freud, the Stille Nacht , the Schuachplattln, Mozart, Princess Sissi, the Wiener Walzer, the Kaiserschmarren, Hermann Maier, the Sacher tort, Falco, the Osterratschen, the Philippinacht, or the Brautstehlen. The only Austrian thing Tarek had ever heard of before his arrival, was Arnold Schwarzenegger. In 2015 the intensity of refugee movements caused a massive crisis of the European border regime. Most refugees fleeing Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria took a long and extenuating march to find refuge in the wealthy countries of the European Union. For a big part of them integration has not been easy (and still isn’t) having had almost no common trait with their new Alpine homeland. One tradition however, ties this small landlocked country in the Alps, to a far way middle-eastern area: bodybuilding. This sport, considered as the national sport in both Afghanistan and Iraq (and widely popular in Syria), led hundreds of its escaping citizens, to be inspired by its most famous athlete, at the same time one of the most successful examples of self-made-man. From a small village to Governor of California, from 0s to heroes, from rags to riches. This is the story of a self-centered sport, accidentally becoming the possible tool of integration for those pursuing a path to success in a foreign land. Tarek, once a national bodybuilding champion in Syria, has come to Austria to seek refugee without knowing anything else than the iconic Austrian bodybuilder, he intends to continue building up as well as integrating in this new land. If you want to integrate in the small country of Austria, you better get Big. While geographical limits tighten up, there might still be some room to stretch.

From the seris shot inside the BHRT Media in Sarajevo.