OMLIJN MIJ

In an intimate and poetic way 'omlijn mij' raises questions about the existence and personal/political implications of borders. Recent international developments are showing the urgency of redefining this space, not only as a place where two things are separated, but also as a place where two things come together. Through (audio)letters, I direct my voice at people who are at a distance –either physically or socially– to bridge the gap that borders create. With lines of blue tape and strings of text, I’m embracing that which is just out of reach. This project consists of a series of performances (Exercises in Connection and Separation), an essayistic film (omlijn mij) and a range of publications and letters. It was exhibited in de Tinnenpot, Ghent in June 2025.

Exercises in Connection and Separation is a series of performances in which I try to get a grasp on the space in-between. Using blue lines to divide up the space and the audience, I explore what it's like to be separated. The lines make visible the distance between, marking the place where one thing ends and the other begins. But can these lines also be a place of longing, a place of desire for what’s on the other side?

Acting as an authority figure, I impose the blue lines upon the people in the room. Nothing is preventing them from being crossed, except for the power dynamic that has been created. The intervention is dependent on the reactions of the audience. Will they let themselves be separated, or will they resist? In the second part of the performance, the position of the ‘border maker’ begins to soften when I starts reading a personal letter to someone. The text speaks about desire and longing, about the implications of national borders, and the ways in which they separate people. The performance is ever changing and ever growing, each edition building upon the ones that came before. Two editions were shown at KIOSK, Ghent in 2025.

omlijn mij tells the story of a week long journey following a borderline. The short film is a reflection on the (non) existence of the line that I'm following. Guided by a voice-over of audio messages, you are taken along through the space in between two countries. What does this liminal space look like? How fixed is the line I'm walking? And who's allowed to cross it?

Excerpt from omlijn mij, Please contact me to see the full film