Statement:
The present photos are the result of my wanderings through a land called “Gilan”, a significant region in the north of Iran. like an unread book, “Gilan” whispers itself in my ear as the rain pours on the old cracked pavements of “Saadi” Street. Unlike most of today's cities it is a weird and mysteriously damp land.
The Semipermeable consists of a number of photos whose concern is neither to document topography nor to represent precisely the geographical features of the land. It is not ethnographic either.
To me, “Gilan” is not simply a place but rather an opportunity which allowed me, on my occasional visits during two years I photographed there, to find a solitude and let my mind my flow, helping me to explore landscapes which were so close to my childhood dreams. Hence these photos are my personal interpretation of the region, a kind of revelation for me to be able to explore that inspiring region and adapt it to my inner world. They are also an attempt to reflect my personal expression of the place, the relationship between people living there and the objects' attachments to their surroundings.
Now after two years when I look back at the photos I feel “Gilan” as a third person has carried me himself to all those landscapes, sometimes passing me through mist and sometimes not letting me to proceed any further. Infact on some occasions, part of me could pass a thick layer of mystery and on some others I was blocked behind wall of perception.
The Semipermeable includes single photos that were taken while wandering the land with no apparent aim. Like any other photo, my work portrays a part of the whole Truth. These photos, subjective and in some cases documentary are all captured to connect part of my soul to “Gilan” and stop the flow of time - the nuanced moments I enjoyed - so that all things represented inside them freeze and last forever. It was the only way for me to make “Gilan” part of myself and not forgotten.
Kiarang Alaei
December 2016