Nisrine Boukhari / Wanderism is a State of Mind

Nisrine Boukhari's art is inspired by psychogeography: theories about how geographical environments affect people's emotions and behaviour.  In recent years she has been working with ideas of how a wandering mind is causing physical and intellectual movement and coined the term 'Wanderism'. Behind the ambiguous title of the exhibition lies the fact that the artist left her homeland, is constantly on the move, and sees her own mind as her nation. 

At Bildmuseet she is exhibiting her manifesto about 'wanderism' as an installation. The manifesto is presented in the form of fragmentary statements about the wanderer, the one who wanders aimlessly - both in a physical and intellectual sense. In the middle of the room there is a writer's desk and a chair. On the desk there are a number of books and objects that were part of Nisrine Boukhari's research process on 'Wanderism'. The visitors are invited to make their own selection from the sheets of paper on the floor, to explore the handwritten statements, to choose the ones that make sense to them and to read them aloud. Each reader interprets the words according to his or her own mind. This activity represents the endless possibilities of a wandering state of mind. The visitor is also welcome to set the double pendulum on the wall in motion. A single pendulum has a highly predictable movement, while the double pendulum can illustrate chaotic movement.

The exhibition also features the two-channel video work The map is not the territory [5:52 min]. On the first screen we see a pen drawing nerve-like lines on the skin. The second screen shows the pen erasing the same lines. On the screen, texts present disassembled statements about the wanderer, about places, roads, boarders, space, distance and cartography. Language plays an essential role in Nisrine Boukhari's work. She often uses a vocabulary of her own to subtly alter the meanings of ordinary terms and phrases. This is also an attempt to influence the experiences and interpretations of the audience. Nisrine Boukhari's projects often engages the viewers' bodies as well as their minds. She choreographs the visitor in the exhibition by creating a situation where they not only observe, but take active part in the artwork and fully experience it.

Nisrine Boukhari (b. 1980) is originally from Syria, where she studied sculpture at the University of Damascus. She is currently carrying out post-graduate research affiliated with the University of Applied Arts in Vienna, Austria. She is pursuing her research from different artist in residency stays in different part of the world. Earlier this year she was artist in residence at MAWA Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada and Nkdale, Dale, Norway. During the autumn 2015 she was artist in residence at Iaspis, Stockholm. This is Boukhari's first solo exhibition in Scandinavia.