Bouchra Khalili’s The Mapping Journey Project, is a video exhibition that features eight stories of illegal immigration. Each person tells their story and traces their journey with a marker on a map. Each story is featured on its own screen and the viewers themselves migrate across the space to watch each one on a path that, similar to the storytellers, is not nearly linear.

Although this project is from several years ago, it is especially relevant in today’s political climate. We often hear stories like this on such a large scale, but this piece not only gives people the chance to tell their own, unique story but also gives the viewers the opportunity to hear a first hand account about what this is really like, rather than the way it is portrayed on the news.

One of my favorite parts about this piece was comparing the tones. There were subtitles at the bottom of the screen so you could follow the story. But there were also headphones so you could hear each person’s voice as they retraced their travels. Surprisingly, many of the people told their story with a very matter of fact tone; as if it was as regular as going to work in the morning. This is amazing to me. As someone who has never lived outside of New York, I can’t imagine having to travel the great distances that these people have for work and to support their families.

The setting and the format of this piece really enhances it. I feel that It definitely wouldn’t have been as strong if it were played on a single screen as a series of episodes. Each time you move to another screen you are surrounded by new people (who could be from anywhere in the world being that this piece is not only in New York City but in the Museum of Modern Art) and embark on a micro journey of sorts yourself. This piece was definitely my favorite of all the gallery or museum work I saw this semester.