BENYI
- Benyi (he/they), 33; artist
- Chile -> Germany
- 2015
- I didn't have to move, but I realized years later that I was escaping many different things. It's a strange sensation because I'm not from here, and I like not belonging and embracing that fact. It has also been a significant part of understanding myself as an immigrant. However, when I've been in Chile, I don't feel that it's my home either, or "my place." Instead, I feel, I guess, that I don't belong somewhere, and that "home" is a personal, intimate relationship that I'm learning to have with myself. From there, I've been finding other people along the way with whom we share common experiences, ethical ways of treating each other, a political stance on life, not being comfortable with how we are forced to live, and creating resistance in various forms. Inspiring one another collectively and breaking free from individualization is what helps me decide where I want to be.
- I’m fine I guess. It is a cyclical state, where I've been trying to treat myself with tenderness. It changes constantly and demands ongoing self-work. However, today, as I finish my second coffee and soak in the vibes of a late summer Sunday, it feels nice.
- I miss the closeness of cotidiano (A/N: everyday) interactions with people, yet, I'm not in a political exile here.
- Would I go back? Not now.
- Some of my great-grandparents were immigrants (Greece), but I never had the chance to meet them. However, I did have a close connection to immigration through an aunt who lived outside of Chile for many years. She spent a couple of years in Spain and later in Italy.
Violeta Parra - Volver a los 17
Los Jaivas - La Conquistada
Italy: Lucio Battisti - Il Veliero
Spain: Camilo Sesto - Con el viento a tu favor
