ThisPlaced

ThisPlaced is an expansive documentary investigation into the "emotional architecture of displacement," centering on the recent wave of Iranian migration across Europe. The project explores how individuals reconstruct their notions of home, identity, and belonging amid the lingering shadows of trauma and exile. Rather than offering simplistic narratives of loss, ThisPlaced delves into the nuanced state of "cultural dysphoria"—a profound sense of spatial and emotional dislocation. By focusing on the broader Iranian diaspora, the project interrogates the current conditions of image production within migrant communities, seeking a "specific visual identity" that can assert itself confidently and critically within a new aesthetic culture.

The project employs a hybrid visual language that blends realistic documentary with conceptual symbolism to reflect the fragmented process of adaptation. Through environmental portraits and the documentation of "lingering objects" carried from Iran, I examine how memory serves as an anchor for fractured identities. The visual narrative is further intensified by the use of "CCTV-style" imagery to evoke themes of surveillance and alienation, alongside handwritten memory archives and video interviews. By integrating these "time-based media" elements—including layered soundscapes and moving images—the project culminates in an immersive multimedia installation designed to foster a global dialogue on the essence of human connection and the evolving landscape of contemporary exile.