Margarita Fainshtein

Thinking with an Accent

Canadian Museum of Immigration at
October 15 - 16th, 2016

Set in a darkened space illuminated by soft accent lights, this installation invites viewers to carefully and safely navigate the room. As they move between translucent components, the audience becomes an integral part of the work—physically and symbolically embedded within it.

Visitors activate the space with the flashlights on their phones, casting dynamic shadows from vertical acetate poles and plexiglass floor pieces. These sculptural elements are layered with printed images of my family’s legal documents—birth certificates, immigration papers, travel permits—overlaid in multiple languages. The overlapping texts form a fragmented, unreadable language: one that reflects a multi-cultural, multi-generational narrative of displacement and disbalance. 

The illegibility is intentional. It speaks to the bureaucratic erasure, the loss of identity, and the layered complexity of obtaining a new identity and balance. 

The light and shadow are not just visual tools—they are metaphors for visibility, presence, and erasure. The viewer’s body becomes both participant and witness, actively engaging with a space.