23rd Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Artistic
Window of Absence #1

This piece features a triple-layered double exposure: a projection on a wall that displays an image of an old window, which is combined with a photograph of architecture in Iran, including my presence within the layers. These layers merge presence with memory, transforming the window into a threshold between lived experience and a distant home. The work explores themes of absence, personal history, and the emotional architecture of memory through the overlap of spaces and figures.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 07.2025
Date Uploaded: 11.2025
Photo Location: Manhattan, Kansas, United States of America
Copyright: © Maryam Ghasempour Siahgaldeh