The VII Foundation online events are made possible by our partnership with PhotoWings.

Photo Stories Exploring the Meaning of Home

December 12, 2024
12:00–13:15PM EST
"Homeland" © Maria Gutu.

Every few months, this series invites photographers from VII Community to present their stories. VII Community provides ongoing education and support to a network of The VII Foundation’s alums. VII Community is a program of The VII Foundation in partnership with PhotoWings.

In this episode, we explore three photography projects that examine the meaning of home.

We are delighted to welcome Romanian-Mexican photographer Ana Topoleanu, who will present her project “Dor.” This work explores the paradox of being physically present yet feeling distant, reflecting on the emotional and physical spaces that grow within a family as its members age.

Moldovan photographer Maria Gutu will discuss her series “Homeland,” which tells stories of youth in her country’s northern region. The project draws on Gutu’s upbringing in this area, where it is common for children to live with their grandparents while their parents temporarily emigrate abroad for work.

Syrian photographer Sara Kontar will showcase “Therefore I Cut,” a poignant portrayal of her mother cutting a friend’s hair. This work captures the lives of women in exile as they support one another in creating a transient home amidst displacement.

Join us on December 12 at 12:00 EST / 18:00 CET for the talk, followed by a Q&A session.

A recording of this conversation will be available in our Video Collection shortly after the event.

VII Foundation online events are brought to you by our partnership with PhotoWings.

 

 

© Ana Topoleanu

 

“I don’t know why but I keep thinking about all of this pain, and that even-though it is a constant hurting, on the other hand we are feeling it, that reminds us that we survived, those who don’t feel are those who died” – Joumana © Sara Kontar

Participants

Ana Topoleanu is a Romanian-Mexican freelance photographer whose journey into image-making began shortly after completing a degree in Sociology at the University of Bucharest.
Maria Guțu was born in 1996 in Moldova. In 2022, she finished her studies at the Docdocdoc School of Modern Photography in Saint Petersburg. Earlier, in 2020, she graduated in cinematography at the Academy of Music, Theatre, and Fine Arts in Chișinău, Moldova.
Sara Kontar is a Syrian artist, photographer, and filmmaker based in France since 2016. In her work, she delves into her roots and the experience of exile, conveying human emotions from a personal and intimate perspective.