As always we strive to publish work with meaning that visualizes the invisible.
Inspired by the work of poet Etel Adnan, New Zealand photographer Stephanie O’Connor celebrates the transitory nature of life in her close- ups in Under the Weight of Flowers.
Greek artist Maria Denise Dessimoz’ ongoing personal project The Inevitable Anguish of Desire is an attempt to transform her mental health struggles through her photographic practice, describing unfulfilled desires and the resulting emotional pain.
Belly of the Giant Serpent: Prophecy by Chinese photographer Chen Chuanduan is a fictional documentary project aided by AI image enhancement that records unspeakable memories and emotions and serves as a metaphor for his personal experiences and collective trauma during the Covid pandemic.
Italian Alice Muratore's spiritual approach in Where Crystals Rain metaphorically links crystal formation to the transformation of existence.
Another metaphorical approach is used by Indian artist Sujata Setia in her photographic project Lingchi - A Thousand Cuts, which exposes domestic abuse in South Asian cultures. The act of cutting into the portraits symbolizes the physical and emotional wounds inflicted.
In contrast to the three above-mentioned artists, German photographer Josefine Rauch’s project Temple Road documents a religious and cultural hub hidden within an industrial area of Frankfurt, Germany where diverse communities of faith find a sense of belonging and spiritual comfort despite the drab surrounding landscape.
People of Clay, a blend of text, archival materials, and photographs, by Indian photographer Akshay Mahajan reminds us of our shared human origins while examining the impact of colonial classifications and the threat of cultural ignorance .
Juno Seunghui Joo, a South Korean photographer, tells of the nuanced complexities of intercultural relationships and examines the challenges, but also the joys, highlighting the importance of understanding, empathy and the power of love in Make Me Your Country.
Marcel Top (Belgium) and Wizard Tang (China) both address contemporary societal challenges. Tang’s deconstructed and digitally manipulated images, featuring discarded household items, explore the impact of consumerism of everyday life in The Replicated Identical Facial Expressions. Marcel Top’s project Reserved Surveillance investigates AI-enhanced surveillance of protests and highlights the dangers of relying on algorithmic decision-making.
Enjoy issue 14 and may your new year be full of light.
