Emilia Martin
Far from here, where the darkness lies
15 November - 21 November 2021


 
“(...) to reclaim perspective in a universe Where science and wisdom are no longer valued to escape talking heads who pontificate ceaselessly on screens large and small, generating more heat than enlightenment While I remain bewildered in darkness.” "darkness and light"
-Marianne Gambaro


In the Western societies, we perceive darkness as a threat. It is associated with blindness, fear, mystery, evil, something out of control. These negative connotations create fundaments for the reality where the levels of light pollution rise fastest in the history of the Earth, simultaneously with the overly rationalised, dominating, patriarchal ways of thinking.

I observe a dangerous tendency to value dry facts over instincts, dominance over sensitivity. With the rising levels of light pollution levels of melatonin in blood gets dangerously low, species crucial for the ecosystem die out and starry nights are no longer present in our lives. We're losing the darkness, and with that darkness we're losing our instincts and feelings. My first experience of starry nights brings the feelings of nostalgia and childhood memories.

The story began as an investigation of light pollution, but became a personal investigation of looking for what's lost. It's a story of fears to be tamed, of a primal desire to get closer to something universal, bigger than myself, and hope that the narrative can be turned around.

-Emilia Martin


Emilia Martin (b.1991, Poland) is a photographer and artist currently based in the Hague, the Netherlands.

Her interests revolve around identity, ownership and belonging. She is one of the creators behind the Photography & Society, a podcast which explores the culture behind the medium of photography, its ethics, dangers and entanglement within a bigger political universe. She holds diplomas in linguistic studies and British and American literature, which serves as a strong influence in her artistic practice.

Emilia chooses to work on long term personal projects, where she regards trust, connection, intimacy, curiosity and ethics to be the key factors.