When you are not home
by Carlos Darder and Elena Sohmen
Description: Two images+Chandelier by Elena Sohmen+Human-hair quartz+Book by Carlos Darder
This lucky charm, which represents our friendship, is a reinterpretation of the Hawaiian figures that were placed on the televisions in motels in the United States. I have never been to one but it is the memory that is in my mind. Both Carlos (based in Los Angeles) and I (based in Berlin) are people who move from place to place and can't find a place to call home. Although now we both live where we wanted to live when we started our friendship in 2017. Our friendship was like Patti and Robert's, very intense, he was my first boyfriend even though our sexual orientations were not compatible. Carlos introduced me to analogue photography, giving me my first analogue camera. I will be eternally grateful to him. Over the years we began to develop a toxic and competitive relationship. But now with adulthood and the distance of our respective dream places, which are not as idyllic as in our dreams, we managed to collaborate on this charm. This amulet is formed by two images imitating one of my alter egos; Carlos' in USA passport size and mine in Berlin photo booth size. Joined by two quartz wrapped in human hair. The human hair that Carlos always collects from all his friends was essential. Next to a chandelier made by me from ceramic.
This lucky charm, which represents our friendship, is a reinterpretation of the Hawaiian figures that were placed on the televisions in motels in the United States. I have never been to one but it is the memory that is in my mind. Both Carlos (based in Los Angeles) and I (based in Berlin) are people who move from place to place and can't find a place to call home. Although now we both live where we wanted to live when we started our friendship in 2017. Our friendship was like Patti and Robert's, very intense, he was my first boyfriend even though our sexual orientations were not compatible. Carlos introduced me to analogue photography, giving me my first analogue camera. I will be eternally grateful to him. Over the years we began to develop a toxic and competitive relationship. But now with adulthood and the distance of our respective dream places, which are not as idyllic as in our dreams, we managed to collaborate on this charm. This amulet is formed by two images imitating one of my alter egos; Carlos' in USA passport size and mine in Berlin photo booth size. Joined by two quartz wrapped in human hair. The human hair that Carlos always collects from all his friends was essential. Next to a chandelier made by me from ceramic.