Through a mixed-media installation featuring portraits and stories of nine individuals, artist Pris Roos invites you to delve into the complexity of our lives. The individuals in the portraits, all with connection to Rotterdam, unfold their multilayered journeys through conversations with the artist captured 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 where you can explore your own sense of family and feel at home.
The portrayed women and non-binary persons, all familiar faces from Roos’ own circle, serve as muses for this special collection. Visitors are introduced to the personalities through short audio clips, 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 reflecting on the intricacies 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’ve chosen to open up and dedicate this exhibition to you – those of us living an in-between life, grappling with a sense of not quite fitting in.
By sharing these lived experiences and honest thoughts, we hope to create a space where you, our audience, can connect and resonate. We hope that this exhibition speaks to you, could make you feel heard, and encourage you to seek and build your own family. Your presence is what transforms this collection of stories into a community. This exhibition is more than a showcase; it’s a gesture of solidarity and a shared exploration of the in-between.”
— Pris Roos & curator Honey Kraiwee
The interviews took place in a place where the portrayed feel at home, the same place where they were captured. With image and sound, the exhibition invites you into their personal environment. Immortalised 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 scene.