'Burden of Proof', although a legal term, the sound of it refers to the idea of 'Evidence of Hope', which has been an ongoing series of trying to reach infinity. During this residency, I am imagining myself to be an employee or worker in Dubai allotted to measure and count. The idea is to keep this job as a constant context while I am a temporary worker/resident in the city and develop works to look into home: family : community from the economic angle.

I have been interested in pedagogy and architecture. Both as spaces that we occupy and dwell in. Language, numbers, home and equations formed between them.  Alphabets and numbers are the first lessons taught in school, which then becomes the lens through which the world is viewed. Counting as a religious, political,  domestic or economic act. Within my works, I have constantly merged these notions to understand the micro narratives formed by the language of numbers. Measuring and counting as act of power and/or hope. Also, focusing on the tools used to do this: chanting mala, rulers, votes, protests, vending machines, bank slip notes, currency, books, shopping, statistics and so on. While this is happening, how do we fit in the idea of freedom? Counting and measuring always makes me think of dystopia yet there is constant search of the opposite.

- Poonam Jain