This is part 2 of my “In Transit[ion]” exhibition which, due the “lockdowns” in 2020, was cancelled. As a side-note, at the time of writing this post, the gallery where my exhibition was due to be held, requires proof of “vaccination” or a negative PCR test that is no more than 48 hours old in order to enter the premises. This regulation has been handed down by the government in Dubai.
For those of us who have chosen the life of a world citizen, the word “home” has many meanings. As we move around the globe in a seemingly endless cycle of; moving, settling, nesting, uprooting and then moving again, our “Memories of Home’ change too.
Even for those of us who do not leave the countries of our birth to start new lives in foreign climes, life often takes us from the towns and cities of our youth to explore different environments. Whether we are driven to the city to seek fame fortune, or the proverbial “pot of gold at the end of the rainbow” or whether we choose to flee to the wilderness or one-horse-towns to escape the rat race, our leaving “home” does not prevent the passage of time from changing our departure point..
Often, when we return to the home that we knew, we are disappointed. The coffee at our favourite coffee shop is not as good as we remember. The menu at our favourite restaurant has changed. The new owners of our house have pulled out our favourite tree. Our old playground is now a shopping mall. The list continues. We often forget that the passage of time has changed us too. Our life experiences change us, sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse. One thing is inevitable though, that the passage of time is always accompanied by change.
This series of photographs shows my home country of South Africa captured on various visits to the land of my birth whilst living as an expatriate in the UAE. A small series of only 6 silver gelatin prints, Memories of Home shows scenes that have remained pretty much unchanged since I left South Africa. Whilst trees may be taller and roads more rutted, these vistas are those that remain in my memory and in my heart no matter where I may roam. Through photographs, we are able to freeze a moment and constantly see our past vision as it was, not as it is now. This is both a blessing and a curse. Which is it for you? I’ll leave you with that thought along with the shortest series in the exhibition.
