Border Situations

In recent years, in my documentary filmmaking practice, I have focused on the experiences of immigrants—those who leave their countries not for a temporary journey, but to build a life elsewhere. Through this ongoing research, I became interested in a fundamental distinction between traveling and migrating, a difference that is most clearly reflected in the contents of a suitcase.
A traveler’s suitcase typically contains practical and replaceable necessities: a toothbrush, a comb, and other everyday items. These objects serve immediate functions and can be acquired anywhere. In contrast, the suitcase of an immigrant carries something beyond utility.
It is not merely a container of belongings. Within it, alongside visible and functional items, there are objects that can be understood as extensions of the self—elements that metaphorically constitute part of one’s being. These objects are not essential for survival in a physical sense, yet they are crucial for enduring the condition of being away from home.
They exceed bureaucratic forms of identification. Rather than simply proving who someone is, they participate in shaping and maintaining that identity. Often small and materially insignificant, they carry a weight of memory, presence, and personal history that cannot be replaced or reproduced.
While a toothbrush can be purchased anywhere in the world, an object that holds an intimate connection to one’s past and sense of self cannot.
The Capsule installation emerges from this understanding. It focuses on objects that may appear ordinary, yet are irreducible in their meaning—items that carry an essential part of their owner’s identity. These objects embody something deeply human, shaping one’s being in subtle but significant ways. They carry an [IN]VISIBLE MEANING that exists between material presence and personal memory.
In this installation, I did not insist on specific objects, as I had initially encountered them during the process of my documentary work. Instead, I chose to place everyday items alongside traces of the human presence—suggestions of a hand, a leg, or a face that appear within the composition. Viewers are invited to imagine replacing these human elements with anything that matters to them—anything they would take if they had to leave their home without knowing whether they could ever return.