Omphaloskepsis, from the Greek omphalos (navel) and skepsis (contemplation), refers to the act of navel-gazing as a meditative or introspective practice. In this body of work,  Filmus reclaims the term as a lens through which to examine identity, dislocation, and the complex emotional landscape of migration.
The series was conceived in 2018 during a significant personal transition. After leaving the UK, Filmus spent three months in Venice before returning to Israel following a nine-year absence. Omphaloskepsis emerged from this experience of repatriation—a contemplative exploration of her roots, both personal and national.

At the center of the series is the navel, cast and displaced onto everyday objects. These objects—ranging from those carried in a handbag to items that engage the body—suggest motion, transition, and the intimate rituals of daily life. The navel, a literal and symbolic remnant of origin and severance, becomes a recurring motif, a site of vulnerability and estrangement. Affixed to these objects, it evokes the emotional ambiguity of the immigrant experience—the simultaneous pull of belonging and disconnection.

By transforming mundane items into intimate sculptures, Filmus reflects on the scar of detachment—both from land and lineage—and the psychic residue of migration. These works also gesture toward broader questions of movement and policy, drawing subtle attention to the precariousness and politicisation of immigration in contemporary society.