It Ain’t Where You’re From It’s Where You’re At: BE(COM)ING SWISS

Video 21’, 2007–2009

Being based on personal experiences, the video clip it ain’t where you’re from, it’s where you’re at: BE(COM)ING SWISS addresses the topic of ‘being different’, which the artist has experienced in two respects - as a Swiss-American artist and as the daughter of Chinese immigrants in the United States. Chen does not push her own point of view to the fore but allows immigrants to have a say about their experiences and findings in Switzerland. She interviewed people from various countries such as Bosnia, Turkey, Tunisia, Morocco, China, Congo, Peru, the US or the Czech Republic.

The questions asked can only be made out by the answers given - the artist stays on the sideline deliberately. The way she investigates on the reasons for immigration and for staying result in a narrative video clip, in which the track it ain’t where you’re from, it’s where you’re at - presented by US-American musician Rakim - is the main soundtrack.

LIMINAL SPACE (‘limen’: Latin for threshold) is a term used to describe a situation of transition and ambiguity.

Marion Wild, from the press release for Liminal Space (select “Show Information”)

Teresa Chen und Sabine Hagmann im Künstlerhaus, Kunstbulletin 10/2007