Stateless Mind Pavilion

Introduction

The Stateless Mind Pavilion, founded by Malaysian–Danish artist Amir Zainorin, is a living platform for dialogue, collaboration, and exchange. Rooted in the experiences of diaspora and displacement, it creates a space where identity is questioned, shared, and reimagined. Through exhibitions, performances, and conversations, the Pavilion connects artists and communities across borders, fostering encounters that challenge fixed notions of belonging.

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The Stateless Mind Pavilion is both a structure and a concept: a mobile, adaptable space built from modular and recycled materials, and a symbolic platform that challenges the idea that only nations can claim a “pavilion.” Instead of representing a state, it represents those who live between borders — migrants, diasporas, and the displaced.

Evolving from the Stateless Mind Festival (founded 2018), the Pavilion was first activated in 2024 at Kapallorek Artspace, Malaysia. That activation served as a prototype, presenting archives and testing the concept as a living platform. The Pavilion is now being further developed, with upcoming programs of installations, performances, and dialogues planned in response to future sites.

The Pavilion was born out of a rebellious act: when preparing a collateral event at the Venice Biennale, Amir Zainorin was told the word pavilion could only be used by national entities. By naming this work the Stateless Mind Pavilion, he reclaimed the term for those without official representation. Each activation transforms the Pavilion into both artwork and social space — a declaration of independence and a platform for reimagining identity beyond borders.

 

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The Stateless Mind Pavilion is more than just a space—it is a dynamic hub of interaction and dialogue. Designed to foster cross-cultural exchange and understanding, the Pavilion hosts an array of interactive events, including artist talks, workshops, performances, and panel discussions. Its mission is rooted in facilitating meaningful conversations about belonging, identity, and displacement, themes that resonate deeply through the "In Between Worlds" exhibition. Guided by the artist and curator’s narratives, visitors are invited to embark on a visual and emotional journey, discovering the complexities of existing between multiple worlds.

 

The Stateless Mind Pavilion: A History Rooted in the Festivals

Foundations and Early Gaps

The Stateless Mind Pavilion arises from the Stateless Mind Festivals, conceived by the artist collective Jambatan, co-founded in Copenhagen in 2008 by multidisciplinary artist Amir Zainorin and anthropologist Pia Poulsen. The name Jambatan—meaning “bridge” in Malay—reflects its mission: to build connective pathways between artistic communities across Malaysia, Denmark, and beyond.

A Festival Reborn

After initiating early cross-cultural events (including the Malaysian Arts Festival in 2009), Jambatan reactivated its mission in 2019 by launching the first Stateless Mind Festival. These festivals—held from 2018 or 2019 through 2023 in cities such as Copenhagen and Venice—served as immersive platforms to explore migration, displacement, memory, diaspora, and decolonization, particularly within Asian diasporic experiences and underrepresented artistic voices.

The Pavilion Emerges

In anticipation of a collateral event at the 59th Venice Biennale, Jambatan collaborated with PORT Perak. During planning, they were told that using the term “pavilion” was restricted to official national representations. That limitation sparked creative defiance—it became the impetus for naming their space the Stateless Mind Pavilion, a self-determined site detached from national affiliations.

First Activation and Re-framing

The Pavilion officially came to life during Amir Zainorin’s solo exhibition at Kapallorek Art Space. The presentation featured an archive of past Stateless Mind Festival activities, establishing the Pavilion as both a historical lens and a continuously evolving space for reflection, performance, dialogue, and exchange.

Ongoing Activations and Expanding Reach

The Stateless Mind Pavilion continues to evolve and travel:

• 2018–23: Stateless Mind Festivals held in Copenhagen and Venice
• 2024: Activation at Kapallorek in Malaysia
• 2025: A new iteration at Emergency Room, National Art Gallery, Malaysia
• 2026: Scheduled presentation at Museo delle Mura, Rome
• 2027 and beyond: Continued development and future engagements

These activations underscore the Pavilion’s role as a nomadic, transnational stage—one that refuses static definitions and embraces cross-border resonance.

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Profile at a Glance

 

 

Link to previous Stateless Mind Festivals:

 

 

 

Link to About Me page

 

Acknowledgment
This project was made possible with support from:

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