THE ESTONIAN GIRL –    A Journey into Oblivion

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This photographic series is a journey to trace the childhood of Karmen, my adopted daughter, in Viljandi, Central Estonia, in 2022-2023. We visited Viljandi in the summers of 2022 and 2023 to gather material and photograph the environment of her childhood, the interior of the orphanage, and the surroundings.

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This story is not just about the past; it is also a story of the present. The past is constructed from what the narrator sees and feels in the present. The original experience gradually transforms in memory as the traces fade away. We recreate the past every day.

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The series of images was created based on factual elements, real and fictional memories. Through the traces of her memory and the collected documents, we find fading memories, poetic and visual metaphors. The journey was also an opportunity to strengthen our relationship and create shared memories for the future.

 

The first phase of the series  called « Papilio » was presented in group exhibition at Gallery West in Helsinki in June 2023.

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