Entropic Fields of Displacement

Wandering around is associated with freedom, but not all wanderers experience this to the same extent. Social and political restrictions limit women in particular in their freedom of movement. In West Asia, in the past decade wandering has therefore become an act of resistance: in this movement led by women, people use their physical presence to reclaim public spaces.

In the project Entropic Fields of Displacement, the Iranian Pegah Tabassinejad takes over the bodies of eight women to explore their cities. In the eight-channel video installation, we see them walking, while Pegah’s disembodied voice tells them what to do: walk, stop, lie down, talk to strangers.

Part of this installation is a live game in which the audience guides the avatar Pegah, embodied by a real person, through the city of Amsterdam. In this interactive performance, the audience gives the performer game assignments. Screens show the live feed of her wandering through the city.