Sirine Boubaker: Visual artist explores migration and identity through movement

Visual artist Sirine Boubaker crafts her artistic practice around the complex themes of migratory movements and the fundamental right to free circulation. Her work delves into historical sites, ancient civilizations, and the rich heritage of the Mediterranean, employing unconventional techniques to convey her message.

Working from her studio in Bhar Lazreg, Tunisia, Boubaker finds inspiration not only in her surroundings but also in the people she encounters and her personal experiences navigating life between Tunisia and France. This dual existence has led her to question the fluidity and evolution of identity. "In Tunisia, every time I returned, I always carried my roots, my origins, but my identity became fluid and changing. It is constantly questioned," Boubaker explained.

This personal reflection has broadened into a wider exploration of circulation, immigration, and the normalization of human movements. Boubaker believes these journeys should not be as complicated or restricted as they often are. Her artistic process involves extensive fieldwork, capturing images in historical locations such as Pompeii, Rome, Athens, and Carthage. These photographs are then incorporated into her art through techniques like Cyanotype and collage.

Boubaker manipulates fragmented stone, controls light, and works with various materials, often finalizing her pieces in her studio, which is filled with blue installations and Cyanotype experiments. She also uses fabric, glass, and mirrors to interrogate her relationship with time. Her art serves as a powerful commentary on the human experience of displacement, cultural negotiation, and the search for belonging in an increasingly interconnected world.

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In Tunisia, every time I returned, I always carried my roots, my origins, but my identity became fluid and changing. It is constantly questioned.