”How We Breathe” Installation, drawing, video and text performance. VBKÖ, Vienna, Austria, 2021.  

re-thought, re-examined, and re-experienced

"The system's 'matter' has changed 'phase', at least since Bergson. It's more liquid than solid, more airlike than liquid, more informational than material. The global is fleeing towards the fragile, the weightless, the living, the breathing."

Michel Serres

It is necessary for every word, every movement, and staying alive; Air is the finest element shared between all species- we need almost the same amount of air every day to continue living.

In the age of Breath and Breathlessness. Political Oppression, Pollution, Pandemic, Exploited Workers, Insecure Social Conditions, War and Hunger are pushing us back to re-think How we breathe? As a way to drive an aerial awareness of self-love and self-care in a choking world.

In this project, the artists open a discussion about the exhibition space as a living organism bringing their research "How we breathe?" into performative practice to discuss daily in the room.

Both artists have a curious approach to the concept of Breathing. Nisrine Boukhari, who uses breathing awareness to investigate the effect of trauma on mental state, where started her drawing-based Pranayama breathing method in 2012 as a neural transfer mechanism to understand the state of Mind-Wandering that is caused by traumatic experience and developed it into respiratory art that studies lines and fragmented language between order and chaos. In parallel to Boukhari's experience in respiratory art, artist Hui Ye is researching the field of sonic repercussions of our breathing system by studying a specific breathing technique called Circular Breathing which is used by musicians of woodwind instruments in order to produce a continuous ton or a long, rhythmically dense music passage. Through day-to-day learning practice of the technique, she re-considers the act of breathing as an incessant sounding circulation, in which the infinite circular airflow becomes the only inspiration of the physical body.

Through their interest in art, language and sound, both artists came together to share the breathing space at VBKÖ, as they activate the room through an exhibition that is changing daily where the line between life, art and politic is blurred as it keeps breathing in out.

As a first collaboration, the artists establish a research air-itory that investigates the exhibition space as the breathable thinking body.

The artists re-think, re-examine, and re-experience Breathing from their own perspective in reflection on what is happening in the time of Breath and Breathlessness.

“Inhale, Exhale” installation. Ink on thermal paper rolls (10 meters each), metal quill pen, Indian ink, hourglass. Vienna, 2022.

Almost every roll is about one hour of mindful breathing that extends 10 meters distance. Part of the Breathing Manuscripts project.

”Lifeline” 03, Breathing manuscript in a book n.03, sodalite stone, 2022, 

Feather Breathing

The Japanese samurai would put a feather under one's nose while inhaling and exhaling; if the feather moved, that person would be dismissed from being a samurai.

The idea is to lengthen exhalation without being too mechanical about it. Using the nose increases awareness of breathing. By mastering your breathing in different circumstances, you will gain more control over your emotions, health, stress level, and whole life. The quality of breathing determines the quality of life.

"Breathing in/ Breathing out"

Video, 04.51 min, 2020 Norway/Austria

Life is a journey. We are breathing it in, living it, and breathing it out. Within the landscape today, life has a different perspective. The way to manage it is within you and your ability to take a deep breath and continue living.