Upon my initial encounter with Bouchra Khalili’s video installation at MOMA, I was unimpressed. At first sight, the various screens spread across the gallery floor do not feature particularly compelling visuals. All of the screens appear to be showing a similar if not identical piece of video art. However, this is not the case and I soon realized that each screen featured a very different story and had greater political implications then a traditional piece of video art.

The project was produced between 2008 and 2011 when the artist encountered and documented the stories of illegal migrants making their way into Europe. Khalili’s work showcases a new way of map making, as the migrants draw their paths across borders and oceans a new map results. The paper map can be easily drawn upon; borders can be easily crossed with the migrant’s pen. This is juxtaposed to the hardships faced by the migrants who encounter opposition to their travels at each border they cross. In addition, each video piece features the same paper map with only the migrant’s hand in the frame. This leads to anonymity of the migrant but also brings the viewer closer to the piece, encouraging empathy with the individual’s experience. Khalili uses a similar shot composition for each story, placing the focus purely on the story and evoking a feeling that the migrant’s story is not necessarily unique. Rather, it is a comment on the ubiquitous nature of migrant struggle and the desire for life improvement through crossing of borders. The visual component of the piece gives scale to the journey that migrants take to reach their aspirations. The spread of eight screens across the gallery floor forms a tableau of anonymous stories and shrinks the massive diaspora of migrant stories to a more manageable scale. Through the piece I felt as if I were able to connect with each individual story and while I can never understand the difficulties these individuals faced, Khalili was able to bring me closer to understanding through the artwork.

What I really appreciated about this piece is that it does not explicitly take a side, although the artist’s intentions are clear, ultimately it is up to the viewer to interpret the migrant stories. Even though this may appear to be a politically motivated piece, the emotional and physical struggle of each individual story is the spotlight rather than any particular political objectives. Khalili is not out to prove a point but rather to tell the stories of those who would otherwise go unnoticed.