Residencies offer a platform for Mushtari to engage in her artistic research, responding to site-specificity. Utilizing techniques such as drifting, psychogeography, and community collaboration, she critically examines the corporeal experience of the site, influencing the everyday lives and subjectivity of its inhabitants.

Mushtari’s first venture into public space-focused, site-specific work occurred on Toronto Island during her month-long artist residency for Artscape Gibraltar Point’s 2022 Winter Island Residency. Titled ‘Drifting Dialogues,’ the residency project culminated in a public showcase comprising three site-specific dance films and a short documentary crafted through the participation of island residents.

A trailer for these films is available at: https://youtu.be/xfDRR3zcovA

The process behind Drifting Dialogues incorporated derive or drifting across the island, exploring psychogeography to understand how different locations and their designs psychologically influence both islanders and the researcher. Additionally, it involved engaging in conversations and conducting interviews with island residents, transforming gathered information into choreographic concepts, and documenting both the creative process and the resulting choreography through filming.

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A fundamental Situationist exercise in walking, devoid of preconceived plans, instead adapting to the opportunities presented by the environment. It facilitates chance encounters, playful exploration, and a fresh perspective on the familiar.

A Situationist method to understand the emotional impact of a place on human mind.

Documentary film: https://youtu.be/jC751C8CLrk