Iman Tajik
WHERE THE BODY MEETS THE LAND
Where The Body Meets the Land
Where The Body Meets The Land is a site-specific durational performance by Iman Tajik, commissioned by Art Walk Porty for the All At Sea 2020 programme. The work explores migration, borders, trauma, and the human connection to land and sea.
Over two days at Portobello Beach, Edinburgh, Tajik paces repeatedly between a buried flagpole and the sea. Dressed entirely in white, his movement traces hundreds of steps into the sand, creating an indented line—a tangible mark of passage, boundary, and memory.
The performance evokes multiple layers of meaning: the historical and contemporary journeys of migrants and refugees, the feet that have reached and departed from UK shores, and a spectral memorial for those who did not survive the sea. The golden-and-silver flagpole, crinkled and rustling in the wind, stands as a visual marker of nationalism and power, contrasting with the solitary, silent figure walking along the sand.
Through this deliberate, silent pacing, Tajik transforms the shore into a reflective space, merging trauma with awareness, and inviting viewers to contemplate displacement, migration, and human vulnerability at the intersection of land and sea.
https://artmag.co.uk/art-walk-porty-all-at-sea-and-iman-tajiks-where-the-body-meets-the-land/
JavaScript is turned off.
Please enable JavaScript to view this site properly.