Artist-in-Residence – Nikolaj Bendix Skyum Larsen 2006

As noted earlier the work pioneered in the 1990s first by Anadiel, and then Al-Ma'mal, always had a very focussed international dimension. By the mid 2000s, therefore, both Al-Ma'mal and Jack Persekian had established a strong presence in the global, as well as the rapidly growing Middle East arts scene. As a consequence Jack Persekian was offered the job of Head Curator of the 7th Sharjah Biennale in the United Arab Emirates in 2005.

One of the artists participating in the Biennale was Nikolaj Bendix Skyum Larsen who has since had on ongoing relationship with Al-Ma'mal. He was artist-in-residence in 2006 and also a participant in the first Jerusalem Show in 2007.

1. How did you first get involved with Al-Ma'mal?
I met Jack Persekian in Sharjah, UAE in 2005. This was Jack's first year at the biennial and for 5 months I was artist-in-residence at Sharjah Biennial 7. Jack and I spent a lot of time together. Through him, his assistant Rania and through artists I met during my time there I learned about his Art Foundation in Jerusalem. At that time I was in the early days of developing a new strand of my artistic practice - a kind of poetic, reflective, anti-journalistic documentary film making. I thought that Jerusalem would be an immensely challenging place to develop my film making, and I proposed to Jack and to the Al-Ma'mal Foundation for Contemporary Art that I would do a residency in Jerusalem. The following year I travelled to Jerusalem with my cameraman, Jonas Mortensen to embark on a 5 week residency, which to this date has been one of the most inspiring experiences I have ever had.

2. What were the main challenges during your residency at Al-Ma'mal?
My main aim during my residency was to capture on video little poetic moments of everyday life between the immensely heavy political and religious chaos in the region. Every day during my residency I would film, edit and upload a clip of what I had experienced unto a website, http://www.mystictruths.net./ All I had ever heard about in the news was related to the ongoing struggle between Palestinians and Israelis, and by depicting small moments of life of a more poetic and sensitive nature than the constant flow of journalistic sensationalism, I hoped to create an alternative vision of life in and around Jerusalem. This became my biggest challenge...to try and avoid depicting concrete political issues that one would see in news reports.

Recently I made a film in Lebanon together with Lebanese film maker, Corine Shawi. Corine was constantly conscious not to produce what she called 'exotic' footage for our film. And to use her term, trying to stay clear of 'exotic' filmmaking proved to be the main challenge during my residency in Jerusalem.

3. What are your strongest memories of your residency period?
During my time at Al-Ma'mal I was bombarded with impressions much stronger than I ever experienced before. Life, death, faith, politics etc. are a much more present and important part of peoples lives than in Europe. I was shocked by seeing how uncertain the Palestinians' everyday lives are - and that the international community allows the occupation to happen. I have incredible memories from the time I spent there, the people I met, the landscapes I travelled through. One day I felt the conflict on my own body. Jonas and I were caught in a crossfire between Israeli soldiers and Palestinians during a demonstration in Belee'n and I was hit by a rubber bullet. An extreme and long lasting rush of pain, fear, anger, frustration, adrenalin etc. was incredibly powerful. In a strange way this incident was one of the most incredible moments of my life. I somehow felt that my work and life had a purpose.

The humiliating architecture of the checkpoints, the sights of the settlements (and ongoing construction of new settlements), the house-demolitions...all these things made me feel that I had an immense responsibility of taking my time in Jerusalem, and the work I made during the residency, really seriously. I learned so much during my time there, and the films I have made since all deal with real life issues.

4. The following year you participated in the Jerusalem Show. Can you comment about your experience of this?
I was really happy to be invited to participate in the Jerusalem Show, and it was a great feeling to return to Jerusalem. On my return I had had a year to digest and reflect on my impressions from my residency. For me, the process of making films and artworks is often more exciting than exhibiting them. But I was really happy to present the sound sculpture 'Satellite' under the dome of an old hamam [public bath house], and I especially liked the process of developing a work (site-)specifically for Jerusalem and its citizens.

5. Do you have any general observations about the art scene you found in Jerusalem / Palestine and the role of Al-Ma'mal?

Perhaps it is different now, but at the time I felt that the different institutions in the region: Al-Ma'mal Foundation for Contemporary Art, Artschool Palestine, the Biennial in Ramallah etc. could work closer together rather than competing.

6. Any other comments?

I am grateful to have been given the opportunity to work with Al-Ma'mal Foundation for Contemporary Art.

To see all videos from the project please see: http://www.mystictruths.net/