Artist
Parisa Aminolahi
Threads of Time
Tehran Diary
Following the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran, large groups of Iranians left the country in pursuit of a different life. The self-imposed exile of Iranians created a new pattern for their families. In the absence of comprehensive social security to support the elderly, in a culture where it is common for young adults to remain at home till their late thirties, many parents found the absence of their children difficult to deal with. It hasn’t been easy for the exiled generation either; not shouldering your filial obligations; instead, living in different time zones, and trying to provide support for the elderly means worrying every day about unforeseen situations. “In 2012, during one of my regular trips from the Netherlands (where I live) to my homeland, Tehran, Iran, I started taking pictures of my mother’s daily life, and this became our routine; whenever we were together, either in Tehran or elsewhere, visiting my siblings. She became my muse. As if I wanted to capture her for myself, for the time she was not with me, when I was back on my solitude in the Netherlands and she was staying alone in Tehran.A few years later, after printing the images, I sensed an urge to use black and white paint on each photo. It was as if every image offered the possibility of becoming a living moment capable of becoming a three dimensional setting for the world I was trying to create. Photographing her and spending time on each photo had a therapeutic effect on me. I realised that by going through this process I was eventually spending more time with her.” The result is a hybrid of photography and painting, giving a surreal sense to the imagery. “On a winter morning in 2022, I received a phone call from Tehran, informing me that my mother had been in a car accident. I can't recall the moments that followed... but somehow I managed to get on a plane in order to land in Tehran some 10 hours after that phone call. My mother didn’t survive the accident; she passed away a few weeks later, leaving us in an immense agony.
Analog Photography, 35mm film, black and white acrylic on Fuji Crystal Archive Paper Supreme.
This series is being reimagined as a book; How the Nights Can Fly.
Bones of Graphene, Skin of Kevlar is the second chapter in Julius Thissen’s visual research project, Watch it Collapse. Its primary focus is to visualise the impact of global far-right politics and sentiments, contrasted with the fighting spirit of trans individuals across generations. Vulnerable images are combined with symbols of masculinity and postures of resistance. Graphene, Skin of Kevlar expresses a need for resilience without losing the ability to be soft and true.
Tashiya de Mel’s Bittersweet History reflects on Dutch-Sri Lankan colonial history and its absence from mainstream discussions of the Dutch empire. The VOC’s cinnamon trade violently transformed the landscape and culture of Sri Lanka, leaving traces that remain visible today. De Mel’s archival collages criticise this history, whilst images of the artists’ mother preparing sago pudding infused with cinnamon convey a more personal connection to this contested spice. De Mel uses a variety of media to subvert and reclaim colonial narratives, suggesting alternative ways of looking at a shared history.
In 1935, Nazi Germany initiated a so-called “fertility programme” to provide the Third Reich with a new generation of leaders and SS officers. Angeniet Berker’s Lebensborn reveals both its broad scale and its human consequences: children born under this programme often lived a life of shame. The project serves as a timely warning of what our societies are capable of.
Parisa Aminolahi's deeply personal work presents a generation of middle class Iranian parents – living alone, often continents apart from their children. Tehran Diary follows the artist’s mother’s life in Tehran, as well as while visiting her three children overseas. Applying black and white paint over her photographs, Aminolahi’s images connect love, family rituals and the concept of home, pondering what it means to lose these.
Benjamin Li’s In Search of Perfect Orange is an archive that spans menus, pieces of tableware and written memories of his encounters while visiting over 1200 Chinese-Indonesian restaurants. His self-published Chin. Ind. Rest. Stickeralbum is a direct outcome of 10 years of travel between these restaurants. Benjamin’s resourceful, meticulous work results in a project that both confronts and honours a distinct cultural phenomena in the Netherlands.
FOTODOK's 2025 nominations were curated by:
Femke Rotteveel
Daria Tuminas
Yusser Salih
Olga Victorie
Eleonora Schianchi
Iliana Michali
