Migrant crisis: Activists to spend 24 hours in shipping container

Artists, environmental and humanitarian activists and an Iraqi astrophysicist plan to spend up to 24 hours in a shipping container in Galway city from Friday to highlight Europea's migrant crisis.

The participatory installation aims to raise awareness about the plight faced daily by victims of forced migration across Europe through the medium of art, according to curator John Langan of Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology (GMIT).

The eight volunteers will take only two litres of water and a portable toilet with them when they enter the seven-metre container located in Galway’s Mainguard Street on Friday morning.

They plan to remain in the dark and confined space with no food and no technology throughout Culture Night celebrations in the city until Saturday morning,

They explain that this will try to “emulate the conditions which are now viewed daily in our international news”.

The project,known as "Infinity", has been designed by the Galway-based Giddy Biddy Collective, a group associated with the city's European capital of culture 2020 bid.

The eight participants with Mr Langan are Iraqi astrophysicist Albasit Dhannoon, environmental campaigner Peter Butler, humanitarian charity official Ronan Scully, NUI Galway first year student Emmanuelle Lydon, holistic therapist Anna Connell, sculptor Conor Lane and GMIT third-year sculpture student Philippa Maguire, who is one of the collective founders.

The Galway2020 European Capital of Culture team leader, Patricia Philbin says it is a discerning artistic and cultural response to a pressing European issue.