ZAHRA KHORAMI

NARRATIVE-STAGED PHOTOGRAPHY

SCHIZOPHRENIA IN EIGHT HOURS

 

THE CURRENT SERIES IS ABOUT SPECIAL MOMENTS OF THE LAST NIGHT OF A GIRL SENTENCED TO EXECUTION; THE INDESCRIBABLE, TOUGH AND APPREHENSIVE MOMENTS WHICH RARELY OR NEVER HAVE BEEN PAID ATTENTION TO. EIGHT HOURS JUST BEFORE THE EXECUTION WHOSE COUNTDOWN STARTS WITH THE DARKNESS RISE OF HER LAST LIFE NIGHT; THE HOURS WAITING FOR HER DEATH BREATHING DOWN HER NECK.

SHE IS THE ONLY ONE EXACTLY KNOWS WHAT IS HAPPENING TO HER AT THOSE MOMENT, AND PROBABLY SHE WOULD NOT FIND ANY CHANCE TO DESCRIBE THAT TO OTHERS. BUT TO ME, HER CHILDHOOD MEMORIES WOULD DEFINITELY PASS THROUGH HER MIND LIKE A FILMSTRIP; ALL THE FANTASIES SHE HAD IMAGINED FOR HER FUTURE FROM CHILDHOOD. THIS FILMSTRIP IS STOPPED AT THE PRESENT TIME.

SHE WOULD PLAY BACK THE FILM AND WATCH THAT AGAIN AND AGAIN, AND EACH TIME, “FUTURE” CAN’T GO FURTHER THAN A FEW SECONDS AND VANISHES A FEW STEPS AWAY. SHE DOES NOT GIVE UP: TWO TIMES, THREE TIMES…! THE LAST TIME, IT SEEMS THAT THE FILM KEEPS ROLLING! WHEN THE REALITY IS TOO LIMITING, MIND WOULD RUIN ITS INTERACTION WITH PHYSICAL REALITY TO BE ABLE TO EXPERIENCE THE UNEXPERIENCEABLE FUTURE.

ALTHOUGH THIS IMAGINARY EXPERIENCE, WHICH IS DUE TO THE PHYSICAL AND MENTAL PRESSURE ON THE PERSON, AFFECTLESS AND TEMPORARILY, LIKE THE BUBBLES ON THE SEE WAVES, HOWEVER, IT CAN BE THE ONLY CHANCE FOR HER TO PICTURE THE FUTURE THAT IS NOT GOING TO COME AT ALL!

SHE STARTS IMAGINING; THE IMAGINATIONS THAT CAUSE HER TO HALLUCINATE OVER ALL THE DARK REALITY, JUST LIKE A SCHIZOPHRENIC PATIENT; THE IMAGINATIONS OF ALL HER DESIRES AND REGRETS. THE DESIRES THAT MIGHT BE TOO DAILY AND ORDINARY TO BE LABELED AS “DESIRE” FOR MANY OF US. SHE FLIES HER MIND AWAY SO THAT IN THE CONTROVERSY BETWEEN PHYSICAL REALITY AND IMAGINATION, THESE TWO HAVE CHANGED OVER; AND SHE BELIEVES LIVING IN EVERY LAST MOMENT OF HER DESIRED FUTURE LIFE.

SHE RECALLS AND LIVES HER POTENTIAL BRIGHT FUTURE, BUT ONLY IN EIGHT HOURS!

(TEHRAN, IRAN, 2015-2016)

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