Imagined Belonging : On historic uncertainty, estrangement and chimeric identity

In this essay, the artistic explorations of identity, belonging, memory and imagination are discussed from the premise of historic uncertainty. The question of why and how artists can engage in stories unknown or unexplainable to them is approached by drawing from personal experiences and reflections. As a framework, the contemplations in the essay are carried by consideration of the remarkable similarities between the legend of Odysseus and a story that I, the author, have been told about my own grandfather. Furthermore, ideas on power and the production of history (Trouillot, 1995), imaginary-based nostalgia and nationalism (De Brigard, 2020) and critical fabulation (Hartman, 2008) are presented. In conclusion, the concept of chimeric identity and ways to handle historic uncertainty as an artist are described.