Home is Somewhere (and everywhere in between) is a collection of Ioana Marinca‘s photographs taken in Romania, Ireland, and England, with some text and poems from Yann Ryan, exploring the idea of ‘home.’ Is ‘home’ your place of birth? your parent’s house? your first apartment? a dorm room? Is ‘home’ a town or city, a country? Is it “whenever I’m with you?” Is there anyone else there? What do the people look like, or all you all alone? Is it where the heart is?
When you move around a bunch, ‘home’ starts to become fluid, but you know when you long for it, and you know when you arrive after a long time away. And you can find it with strangers, in a strange land too.
The photographs in Home is Somewhere come from two completed projects—”Mathematician, Philosopher, Engineer” and “London Bridge/Borough Market”—with maybe some others added in. The photographs move fluidly between countryside and city, interior and exterior, landscape and portrait. There are many photographs of young girls, solitary or in groups, looking pensive or playful, and a few photographs of friends and (presumably) family, indoors and out. Together, it’s all “home.”
If I hadn’t read that Marinca lives in Ireland, and took the photographs in Romania, Ireland, and England, I would probably have some difficulty identifying particular locations. The buildings and homes and landscapes are largely similar to some of the many places I’ve called home, and I’ve lived in three states and multiple locations, some more “home” than others. Now, at 40, typing from a beautiful house, much larger and more grand than I ever imagined, and that I simultaneously feel as “home” and totally foreign, I’m not sure I can really put my finger on “home” and I’ve really been struggling with that lately, nonspecifically, and obliquely. Marinca’s photographs (with Yann’s text and poetry) make a good start in helping me find more… comfort is the wrong word… acceptance, maybe… more whatever with this present state of affairs in my own, personal life, working and trying to live in this place that is now, after 5 years, somehow less familiar and more strange than when my darling, adorable wife and I first moved in.
Unrated.
Sadly, it appears that Home is Somewhere (and everywhere in between) is sold out, but the work is up (mostly) in various projects on Marinca’s website, and you can see more of her work on Instagram @transilvirish.
