Through a mixed-media installation with portraits and stories of nine individuals, artist Pris Roos invites you to delve into the complexity of our lives. The portrayed, all with a connection to Rotterdam, unfold their layered journey through conversations with the artist, recorded in audio fragments. With the solo exhibition 'what it is, what it means and what I would like it to be' Roos creates a space in which you can explore your own sense of family and feel at home.
The portrayed women and non-binary people, all familiar faces from Roos' own circle, serve as muses for this special collection. Visitors are introduced to the people through short audio fragments, in which Roos has vulnerable conversations with them. Family, growing up, immigration, queerness, gender and gender transition are intimate themes explored in these conversations.
“We have been thinking about the complexity of presenting our intimate and personal stories within the format of an exhibition in an art institution. It is a challenge, we must say. Despite the difficulty, we have chosen to open up and dedicate this exhibition to you – to those of us who live lives in between, who struggle with the feeling of not quite belonging.
By sharing these lived experiences and honest thoughts, we hope to create a space where you, our audience, can connect and resonate. We hope this exhibition speaks to you, that you feel heard, and that it encourages you to find and build your own family. Your presence is what turns this collection of stories into a community. This exhibition is more than a showcase; it is a gesture of solidarity and a shared exploration of the in-between.” – Pris Roos & curator Honey Kraiwee
The conversations took place in a place where the portrayed feel at home, the same place where they were captured. The exhibition invites you with images and sound into the personal living environment of the portrayed. Immortalized on cardboard are Bibi Fadlalla, Merel Dap, Fyn Paulina Bonita, Xiang Yu Yeung, Sofia Boschat-Thorez and daughter Nour, Jay Reeberg, Eileen Felida, Yin Yin Wong and Kaoutar Gadir, all active in the Rotterdam art and culture world.