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Making a giant chessboard from refugee life jackets

For World Environment Day, Aegean University volunteers presented chessboard made of life jackets and academic papers.

Chessboard of the World/Please Do Not Use
The foam components of thousands of life jackets were used in the construction of the chess pieces for the Chessboard of the World art installation. The jackets were first cut into stripes to make the inner shell of the pieces. After the shape was formed it was coated with sawdust and glue to complete the shape. [Dimitris Sideridis/Al Jazeera]

By Dimitris Sideridis

Published On 7 Jun 2016

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Lesbos Island, Greece – The Chessboard of the World is a giant outdoor art installation, created by artist Fereniki Tsamparli and realised by the University of the Aegean. The work attributes material and symbolic value to two key issues present in the everyday life at the university located on the Greek island of Lesbos: the unprecedented flow of refugees through the Greek coastline, and the constant flow of paper in academic pursuits.

The large chess pieces, some up to 1.2 metres high, are made from paper discarded by students, and life jackets discarded by refugees.

The pieces were sculpted by a determined group of volunteers who are members of the university community and the TEDxLesvos group. Hundreds of refugee life jackets were transported from the landfill by the Municipality of Mytilene, the capital of Lesbos island.

“Over the last year, the region has seen one of the greatest migrations of humankind. The personal drama encapsulated in each individual arriving has unfolded on the beaches across these islands and left behind, bearing silent witness to lives changed for ever, are the life jackets,” explains the university website.

The project was presented to the public on June 6 for World Environment Day.

READ MORE: Italy plans a cemetery for refugees drowned at sea

Chessboard of the World/Please Do Not Use
Upon completion of a chess figure, a layer of opaque material was used to coat the outer layer in order to stabilise the colour to be applied later. [Dimitris Sideridis/Al Jazeera]
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Chessboard of the World/Please Do Not Use
Volunteers then inspected the pieces, repairing imperfections left over from the construction process. [Dimitris Sideridis/Al Jazeera]
Chessboard of the World/Please Do Not Use
Once the pieces were completed, they were left to dry in order in preparation for the painting process. [Dimitris Sideridis/Al Jazeera]
Chessboard of the World/Please Do Not Use
Large inflatable dinghies were collected from a landfill and moved to the courtyard of the University of the Aegean to be washed and cut in order to form the chessboard. [Dimitris Sideridis/Al Jazeera]
Chessboard of the World/Please Do Not Use
The construction of the chessboard was a painstaking process. Apart from having to collect the rubber boats of black and grey colours, the volunteers performed meticulous measurements to ensure the accuracy of the cuts. [Dimitris Sideridis/Al Jazeera]
Chessboard of the World/Please Do Not Use
Many volunteers from the university as well as ordinary citizens offered endless hours of help to ensure the completion of the project by the deadline. [Dimitris Sideridis/Al Jazeera]
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Chessboard of the World/Please Do Not Use
Volunteers worked to assemble the chess board. [Dimitris Sideridis/Al Jazeera]
Chessboard of the World/Please Do Not Use
Letters and numbers cut from the rubber parts of the boats to be used on the chessboard. [Dimitris Sideridis/Al Jazeera]
Chessboard of the World/Please Do Not Use
Painting and coating of the pieces required multiple stages of application. [Dimitris Sideridis/Al Jazeera]
Chessboard of the World/Please Do Not Use
The two colors chosen for the pieces have symbolic meaning. The orange symbolises the life jackets of those who succeeded in reaching the Greek shores with hopes for a new life, while the green symbolises environmental sensitivity and recycling. [Dimitris Sideridis/Al Jazeera]
Chessboard of the World/Please Do Not Use
The chess pieces were ready for their first game on June 6. [Dimitris Sideridis/Al Jazeera]
Chessboard of the World/Please Do Not Use
The giant chessboard with all its pieces was moved to a nearby beach where many refugees had lost their lives. [Dimitris Sideridis/Al Jazeera]
Chessboard of the World/Please Do Not Use
Orange and red life jackets where placed upon the chess pieces in a symbolic gesture. [Dimitris Sideridis/Al Jazeera]
Chessboard of the World/Please Do Not Use
Fereniki Tsamparli, the artist who created the giant chessboard, wished to combine the drama of the refugee crisis and environmental awareness by recycling life jackets, rubber boats and paper. [Dimitris Sideridis/Al Jazeera]