Visible Cities
Visible Cities (2019)
All photographs exposed on silk screen in the sunlight,
screen print on paper
18.5 x 28.5 cm
Photography: Layli Rakhsha
Visible Cities is a new project in progress and reflects my visual investigation about the relationship between public and private spaces; between self and other.
The idea of this project shaped when I was reading the book Invisible Cities by Italo Calvino during my short visit to Melbourne in 2013. During my stay in Melbourne, I read the book and walked for long hours, photographed the streets and people’s movements in the city. I aimed to teach myself how to use my film camera and to explore analogue photography and multiple exposures in photography. While exploring double exposure photography, I became interested in whether my movements can leave traces of my personality and feelings in public spaces. I felt that as I move, I make invisible prints in public and shared spaces.
To develop Visible Cities project and my idea of invisible print and the relationship between public and personal spaces, I decided to start with my photographs from the city of Melbourne, and use the sunlight (natural UV light) to expose my photographs on the silk screen.
I will continue developing this project, my visual research, and exploration during my studio residency at the Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts (PICA) in July 2019.