The Empire's New Invisible Wardrobe
-A continuation of Andersen's Famous tale
Following the day when the Emperor marched in his “new clothes,” he felt deep shame. Remembering how the crowd laughed, he decided he would trick others to feel powerful again. Everyone in the kingdom knew the tailor had outsmarted him, and that made him furious. Eager for revenge, he ordered the tailor to make clothes fit for the poorest strangers.
Poor immigrants, who carried their lives on their backs, were told they must wear them. At the Emperor’s command, the tailor spun threads not of silk...but of glass! Like chains, the glass clothes were heavy, yet they also sparkled in the sunlight. Every time the immigrants walked, the glitter caught the eyes of all who stared. Sneering people tried to laugh, but the shine became like mirrors, reflecting their cruelty. Then the laughers went blind, for the glass turned their mockery back upon them. In this way, the “Invisibles” were hidden by the state but shone with hidden power. Now the Emperor’s plan had failed, for what was meant as shame became strength. Every child who hears this continuation knows: the tale of the Emperor never truly ends.
This project was supported by the @alexander.tutsek.stiftung
P.S. The two side images are from Samos Island, Greece where thousands of immigrants arrive by boat. On Megalo Seitani Beach, we found remnants of their clothing.
© 2021 Marios Leandros Basteas