The provocation for ‘Body House’ is the erosion of cultural & material bonds. In the 21st century, the idea of ‘home’ as a fixed physical and geographical location seems redundant. Under such conditions, how does one reconcile one’s existence and aim to achieve a sense of futurity? Can being without nation or flag, be liberation rather than a loss?
Inspired by ‘Femme Maison’ (‘Woman House’/’housewife’) sketches of Louise Bourgeois, Shabnam Shabazi offers a new reading as – ‘my body is my home’. ‘Body House’ is a personal and solo journey into the realms of dislocation, rootless-ness and ‘homesickness’ in times of trouble.
Shabnam Shabazi’s signature theme is ‘home’, as a sense of place, identity and the spaces in and around the body. Her practice is archival, and her process can be likened to an archaeologist excavating the past as an attempt at unveiling a kind of futurity based on walking and journeys.
