We sat down with Rim AlBahrani to discuss her solo exhibition titled “Elusive Dreams of Belonging” at Art district.
Rima Nasser: What is the focus of the exhibition “Elusive Dreams of Belonging”?
Rim AlBahrani: The exhibition focuses on exploring themes of place, identity and belonging while questioning the categorical assumptions of home. I want to challenge preconceived notions of dislocated identities and focus beyond the borders of institutionalised structures that generalise all immigrants and diaspora alike. Unlearning these notions as their impact on these dislocated identities continues to play a limited perception of the vastness of identity formations.
RN: How do you explore the relationship between place and identity in your work?
RAB: As someone who has moved across numerous locations, my work has led me to focus on the relationship between place and identity. My work dissects the tangibility of the concept “home is identity”. Knowing that place and identity are closely intertwined, my work challenges the extent to which “place” can shape the dislocated identities that are not defined by the categorical assumptions where identity is only determined by their home. But instead, to highlight the complexity and fluidity of our identity formation, creating a space where belonging can be attainable is a beautiful thing.
RN: How do the house-shaped configurations in the exhibition reflect your perspective on the concept of home and identity?
RAB: My house-shaped structures are symbols of intersections of the conventional notion of selfhood and open space that allows us to understand the process of belonging and unbelonging. Rather than viewing home as a sole determinant of our identity, the structure of houses or homes, as I also call them, are sensory details in my search, used as an observation to highlight the complexity of the identity which, like me, sense of self and place is constantly evolving.
RN: What inspired you to incorporate the practice of ancient Mesopotamian dream interpretations and modern Arabic poetry in your work?
RAB: I am inspired by research and finding an answer behind the roots of the identities of the Arab region that can reflect on my journey in search of my own identity. In this research, I came across ancient Mesopotamian dream interpretations, which fascinated me as they provided a window into the values and beliefs of this ancient culture, where dreams are interpreted as messages from the future. As someone with Iraqi roots, I have grown up hearing about our Mesopotamian heritage and seeing it displayed across large art institutions worldwide. With its reference to the beginning of human civilisation, I incorporated dreams as a symbol of abstract meaning and connections. While poetry, specifically modern Arabic poetry by Badr Shakir Al-Sayyab and Mohammed Mahdi Al-Jawahiri (both translated in English) had an emotional influence on my work as it captures the feeling of longing, the earliest diaspora and experiences of disconnections and displacement. It is with these two paradoxes of practices that my work is a visual narrative of the multiple complexities of our identities.
RN: How did you create a connection between the physical and mental factors of dislocated identities in your exhibition?
RAB: I believe my houses represent both the physical and mental factors. There is that physical, tangible aspect of houses which equals a home. In contrast, the abstraction of these houses clustered or stacked on top of each other using Mesopotamian dream interpretations and modern Arabic poetry reflects on the intangible mental dimension of one’s sense of self and place.
RN: What is the significance of exploring the sense of self in relation to the concept of belonging?
RAB: It is the core of our experience in this life. We have not found a concrete answer, but we are conditioned to believe that we must belong to feel that universal human connection. It is a part of the beauty within the complex human experience to acknowledge that belonging and a sense of self are connected in different ways. However, the dislocated identities challenge this sense of self due to displacement and disconnection from their cultural or personal roots.
RN: How does the personal experiences with displacement and cultural heritage inform your work?
RAB: They are the fundamental forces behind my work. From growing up in multicultural and transitional environments that have distanced me from my Iraqi roots to forming my own identity in these multiple locations, I was left with a compass that navigates me through a personal understanding of place, belonging and identity. But it is the sense of longing that has sparked my interest in exploring the emotional and psychological effects of displacement and home through my work. So I started looking back at my memories and the stories of my family and friends who have undergone similar journeys to create a dialogue about the universal experience of the search for belonging.
RN: In what ways does your work challenge traditional understandings of identity and belonging?
RAB: Examining the predetermined nature of identity and belonging as concepts that can be limiting and characterised by exclusion. My sculptures are the final product of my research that aims to disrupt the categorical notions such as geography, culture or social boundaries that accompany concepts of identity and belonging. But this is the first chapter in the introspection that invites a space for contemplation inspired by the emotional and psychological effects of identity and belonging that looks at Mesopotamian dream interpretations and modern Arabic poetry.
RN: What message you hope to convey through your exhibition, “Elusive Dreams of Belonging”?
RAB: To challenge the generalisation and homogeneity of dislocated identities and their experience. Instead, we must question our assumptions and unlearn the preconceived notions about identity and belonging to recognise that there can be a space of belonging, but not one built within borders.
Elusive Dreams of Belonging, Rim AlBahrani
Location:Art District – Gallery & Studio
Duration:26 April – 06 May 2023