ANA VIEIRA DE CASTRO
Memories Lost in Time and Space
15 January - 21 January 2020


“I spent the year of 2018 trying to figure out what true love was, since I thought I had experienced it. I question myself and everyone, searched and read books about it. Nobody could give me the perfect answer so I started working on this project as it was the only I could express my feelings.

During that time, I created a Tinder account so I could ask my matches about their thoughts on true love. Most of them said not to believe it existed or did not felt like talking about it. The majority of people I asked were there because they were heart-broken, felt lonely, or just wanted to have new experiences.

My plan was to go on dates and photograph them on places that meant something to me. The idea was to explore my emotional memory and try to figure out how can old memories and lovers be replaced by new ones, and how do we seek to much of our last loves on our new loves. I went on my first date with a Tinder match and it completely changed my way of looking at love. I went only on one date with someone that blew my mind and made me rething this project.

I was more confused than ever on the idea of love.

Memories Lost in Time and Space is about those changing moments in our lives. Is about feeling anxious, not knowing what to expect, making hard to define who you are. Is about the process of forgetting strong memories and feelings and find new ones. Is about that transition period that leads our lives to something truly great. Is about meeting your new self and let the old self go. This project started as a search for what true love was and today it represents my journey on having my heart broken and falling in love again.

2019, was a turning point in my life and I documented my memories through photography and mixed them with letters and postcards found on antique stores. This was the starting point of the project because it always fascinated me how our strongest feeling could fit in a letter. Letters from lovers to lovers about heartbreakes, marriage, being in love or not being able to be together.

This project represents the hopeless romantics like myself and the feeling of being stuck emotionally, feeling lonely, doubting, of falling in and out of love.

Somehow the memories that once belonged to someone belong now to me and represent who I was in 2018 and what I was searching.”

-Ana Vieira de Castro


Postcards Translations

Porto, 9th September 1964

Sorry if I am bothering you again, but I would like to say the thoughts I still carry.

At all times I find myself revisiting the latest events and I always end up not coming a conclusion.

Meanwhile, it seems to me, I am sorry and please don’t wish me bad, because you were not perfect on your behavior. You told me on your letter that you took the misunderstanding between us as a result of my youth.

João Marcos, you know, that although I’m already 22 years old my life has been very simple. Maybe that’s why my head cherishes so many dreams.

Don’t think that I’m trying to change your mind, but since we broke up I would like to be the most honest as possible with you.

I was hoping, João Marcos, that you would understand the illusions, ideas, aspirations and faith in life that I carry. Although with this attitude you tried to destroy something on me, I will do everything for that not to happen. I believe that God will help me walk the path of life with the same hope and idealizations that I had, and that until now have been part of myself.

I hopped that you had understood all of this, that not always being silence means I have nothing to say, but there is so much to say that sometimes you end up being afraid of doing so.

Sometimes you want to say yes but you end up saying no.
You that have a sister that you care so much, must understand.
It was with you that for the first time I got in touch with love, and for that, like everyone that starts something, I failed.
I failed so many times and for that I’m sorry. I only ask for you to always remember of

João Marcos Cidália


May, 19-05-78

Dear Isaurita

After our phone call I got immensely sad for two reasons, 1st my son that only brings me sadness and sorrows and 2nd the fact that you can’t come over. Our best years go by as we drift apart. I want you and you are not near.

Kisses from Berto


2/07/1967

Dear Tereza

When I get there I want to spend an afternoon with you. We have much to talk about. I loved having you here, we really enjoyed ourselves. Kisses to Terezinha

Big hug and kisses Luis




Ana Vieira de Castro (b. 1995) is a photographer and curator based in Porto, Portugal. She got a college degree in Visual Arts and Photography from Escola Superior Artistica do Porto University and she is currently enrolled in a master degree in Curatorial Studies in Faculdade de Belas Artes da Universidade do Porto.

She has been working in photography since 2016 and since then, Ana’s work has been published by numerous photography, art and fashion magazines and online platforms. She was selected for a portfolio review at Photo Vogue Photography Festival in Milan created by Vogue Italia.

In 2018 and 2019, she worked in Photography Direction and Production at Encontros da Imagem - International Photography and Visual Arts Festival. She taught Film Photography: Developing and Printing in a local school and she collaborated with Bo.Ca (Bienal of Contemporary Arts).

In the beginning of 2019, she worked with national fashion magazines such as Prinçipal and Parq Magazine, and was one of the finalists for Descubrimientos Portfolio Reviews at PhotoEspaña and she was gratefully sponsored by the Portuguese Embassy.

Ana also collaborated with Porto Photo Fest as the Curator rof the exhibitions at Centro Comercial de Cedofeita. In 2020 Ana made public her new photography project Memories Lost in Time and Space through an Instagram Takeover for Photocaptionist. The project also had visibility through an article by the portuguese national wide newspaper Público, in which Ana was interviewed about the concept and premises.