THE ARTIST IS ABSENT

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2013

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The project is titled "THE ARTIST IS ABSENT," a deliberate choice inspired by Marina Abramovic's renowned work, "The Artist is Present." Abramovic's piece involves an exhibition space where the artist sits in silence, awaiting interaction with a spectator. The primary objective of my exhibition is to offer viewers insight into my life through various elements, such as the places I have visited, interactions with friends, letters, memories, and dreams. I hold the belief that an artist is inherently a migrant, and this project aims to explore this concept by showcasing the trajectory of my life and career. This is achieved through the presentation of letters exchanged with friends and family, photographs, maps, diaries, and personal objects that hold significance in contextualising my identity and the person I have become.

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The project aligns seamlessly with my recent focus on identity in my artistic endeavours. While my previous work has approached identity more subtly, particularly through photography, my relationship with my body, and my image, this project marks a departure as I choose to expose myself rather than hide behind the persona of the artist. I perceive an inseparability between the person I am within my personal circles and my professional life. What the audience encounters is a fragmented and expanded narrative of my life, emphasising the transformations I have undergone in different parts of the world. The intentional fragmentation challenges the notion of a singular narrative in favour of a multitude of perspectives. The artist's signature seemingly fades into the background in the presence of the public, emphasising their active participation in the creation of the narrative and effectively transforming it into a comprehensive database of my life story.