Untitled (Geobiographicum)

My work has centered on the notion of exile and belonging/non-belonging in various ways, and it is perhaps no coincidence that I have spent most of my life living for only very short periods of time in one place. My latest work called Geobiographicum consists of cut-up road maps that have been reassembled and superimposed into abstract patterns and sewn together within a layer of Mylar. Most of the identifying signs such as names of cities and towns, landmarks and street names are removed. The maps shift from having a clear geographical reference and use value, to a more vague and abstract function. It is still possible to recognize parts of the referent, but one needs to have an extremely intimate connection with the place to recognize a chopped up map, the kind of connection which comes from spending many years – something which I have never experienced. –Artist statement