II / Burnt Memory of a River / 2012

A man walking past a decorative archway in front of a building, with a large, blurred object in the foreground.
A black and white photo of an architectural structure with arched brick and tile design, viewed through reflective glass or surface.
Close-up of a transparent surface with an abstract, distorted image behind it, possibly a face.
View of an interior architectural feature with three pointed arches and decorative brickwork, with a blurred person walking in the foreground.
Black and white photo showing a reflected image of two people walking on a bridge with arched openings, with the main building above containing patterned tiles and brickwork.
Two women in hijabs standing on a balcony with traditional Islamic architecture, including arches and decorative tile work.
Close-up black and white photo of two faces in profile, face-to-face, with a wispy, smoky background.

This series documents the synchronous erosion of landscape and medium. The gradual disappearance of the Zayandehrud River finds a chemical resonance in the failure of the analog development process-a dual catastrophe where ecological instability intertwines with the degradation of the image. Yet, the distorted and burnt layers of the film transcend technical error; they serve as a 'trace of calamity' reflecting the lives of the weary people of this ancient land. It is a geography of profound history, now bound to a bitter destiny.