105 DAYS

Askola 1, 105 Days, Digital Photograph, 2021

 

Aerial photography often evokes grandeur and vastness, capturing landscapes that stretch infinitely, dwarfing human existence. However, 105 delves into the spatial and temporal implications of the Winter War, a conflict lasting 105 days. Focusing on a collapsed homestead in Askola, where a Finnish family resettled post-evacuation from Karelia, this depicts not some architectural vestiges but rather the intricacies of human migration, settlement, and memory. From my perspective as a migrant, this project offers a multi-layered interpretation of the past, interwoven with themes of loss, hope, and continuity.

I wanted this series to transcend the boundaries of mere documentary photography, to become an elegy—a mournful song from the skies, capturing the whispers of the past and the silent hopes of every migrant soul. Through the evocative landscapes and the remnants of a house that once was, the project invites viewers into a meditative journey to find beauty in decay, stories in silence, and a home in memory.

— Moe Louanjli, Askola, 2021.

Askola 2, 105 Days, Digital Photograph, 2021

 

Askola 3, 105 Days, Digital Photograph, 2021