5 Madonnas in Exile

5 Madonnas in Exile is a participatory, site-specific installation that explores themes of displacement, memory, and resilience through the lens of migration and ancestral heritage. Presented as a fabric-based architectural environment, the work pays tribute to five archetypal female figures—Exile, Memory, Yearning, Repentance, and Redemption—each inspired by the artist’s Sephardic foremothers who preserved cultural continuity during centuries of forced migration. A symbolic pathway of fabric unfolds from a suitcase into a tent-like cathedral, guiding visitors through a sensory and spiritual journey. Two central symbols—the bull and the cathedral—reference Iberian visual culture and critique the treatment of immigrants as both vital and expendable labor. A spiraling maze evokes the confusion of exile, culminating in a video performance of the artist adrift at sea, referencing contemporary asylum seekers. By blending historical references with immersive design, Chimen presents exile not only as trauma, but as a sacred passage toward collective strength.