Who or what do we think about when we say the word “we”? This question was a starting point for Klaas Burger's artistic residency in Wrocław in June/July 2016. This journalist and visual artist hosted by AIR Wro as a result of the exchange with Breda (Netherlands), the partner city of Lower Silesia's capital, was already a resident here in the autumn of 2015. Back then he got involved – along with local citizens and social activists – in the case of Roma encampment on Kamieńskiego street. He was working on the project titled “How to Try to Act as if there Was a Future?”. As Klaas emphasizes, that the European Capital of Culture is a celebration, which main course should be uniting citizens using the power of art. But are we ready to include in festivities those, who exist on the margins of society? If so, then how?

When in the summer of 2016 Klaas came to Wrocław again, he met his Roma acquaintances selling roses to the passerbys on Świdnicka street. The moment of their reencounter gave an impulse to artist's next project “#YOUAREAROSE”.

With the help of several rose selling men, a house was erected at Barbara (Europan Capital of Culture information point), and decorated inside by the women. This collectively built hut (modeled on those at the encampment), transformed into a intercultural meeting place (over the time of three workshops held in July 2016.) This whole event ended with the parade of roses that marched from Barbara – through Świdnicka street – to the main square where the participants were handing roses to the passerbys.

Project “#YOUAREAROSE” became a space for multicultural meeting: apart from Poles and the Roma people, there were Japanese, Syrians, Turks, Afghans and Italians participating in the workshops, presenting different points of view and deconstructing, usually spoken without a second thought, word “we”.