James Clifford Viloria: Liminal Quarters

16.01.2025.

James Clifford Viloria is a cultural anthropology graduate who is pursuing a PhD in Earth Science at Eötvös Loránd University. With years of expertise as a visual storyteller, his journey began in the city streets, where he captured the raw essence of urban life through street photography. His work combines academia and art, focusing on urban spaces, historical preservation, and spatial justice. Using participatory visual tools, he hopes to engage communities in meaningful discourse and enable them to reclaim their narratives in the built environment. Through his lens, he hopes to reveal the hidden stories woven into the fabric of our cities, casting light on the interconnections of culture, identity, and power dynamics that shape our common spaces.

In an environment of escalating accommodation costs and housing issues in Hungary, dormitories are not just mere temporary shelters for international students but also vital hubs of cultural exchange and international solidarity. I want to show in this exhibition how dormitories serve as a liminal phase for international students. It also serves as a window into the lived experiences of students from diverse cultural backgrounds, offering glimpses of their diversity, social interactions, and solitary moments within the confines of their communal living spaces.

This exhibition shows the dynamic intersection of cultural diversity and housing instability within the context of dormitory life. Amidst the backdrop of the housing crisis, this exhibition also mirrors the innovative ways in which students appropriate dormitory spaces into personalized sanctuaries, infusing them with cultural artifacts and expressions of identity to cultivate a sense of belonging and familiarity. Despite the transience of their living arrangements, students forge deep bonds of friendship and solidarity within dormitory walls, drawing strength from their shared experiences and collective struggles as they navigate the uncertainties of transient living.

Art exhibition in Book of Your Life community room (April 2024 - September 2024)

Side event (22 May 2024) - more

James Clifford Viloria: Liminal Quarters