As a means of grasping one’s place in the present

What does "grasping one’s place in the present" mean in the last line of the provided context ? Does it mean to create a personage in the present time? Because This the previous paragraphs explain that this artist uses imaginative characters to present real data and information about real subjects. Context:Scratching has as its subject—through an elaborate chart, lectures delivered by the artist, and newspaper and other clippings—the entirety of the Arab art world. Ra’ad’s installation points to a network of individuals and institutions that presently constitute it, and also to the vast monetary sums that are fueling its expansion. The project is an almost manic continuation of Ra’ad’s drive to collect, present, and synthesize data as a means of grasping one’s place in the present .