The Invisible Worm

The latest film by British Palestinian artist Rosalind Nashashibi was produced for the exhibition O Rose, held in early 2024 at the Den Frie Centre of Contemporary Art in Copenhagen, and revolves around the friendship between Danish sculptor Marie Lund and Nashashibi herself. Although working with different media, the two artists share a similar methodology in conceiving and reflecting on their works. The Invisible Worm is a playfully toned exploration of the artist’s myth and the dynamics of friendship among artists. Filmed in artist studios and the spaces of Den Frie, the film features artist Elena Narbutaitė, a long-time collaborator of Nashashibi, who explores the role of art in society and the private lives of its creators through enigmatic reflections and brief performances. Also appearing are Pietro, Nashashibi’s teenage son, and a cat named Alyosha, along with Nashashibi and Marie Lund. The title refers to William Blake’s short and cryptic poem The Sick Rose (1794), which serves as a recurring theme in the film and guides its poetic and elusive structure. In the poem, the poet addresses the rose, warning it that an invisible worm has caused it to become ill. In the film’s final scenes, the worm appears in a small animation on screen as the footage shifts outdoors, framing the English Parliament as seen from the River Thames.