The Silent Generation

Ongoing Project

The Silent Generation project idea came after the death of my grandfather. It opened my eyes to the fragility of life and made me realize that I will never talk to him again. I also realized that it is the last moment to meet other people who were born before or during WW2 and grew up with limited or no technology at all. It is fascinating for me to talk to them, and experience generational differences caused largely by the times we were born in. I am using environmental portraiture to capture seniors and the world that surrounds them. I want to show the details, the things that are important for them. There is only so little that they can keep at the end of their road, and I am very curious about what it is and why it has meaning to them. The complementary, crucial part of my photographs is a short interview, which I am recording. I am asking three questions inspired by a 1980s documentary by Krzysztof Kieslowski's “Talking Heads". The questions are: What year were you born? Who are you? And What do you wish for? I hope this project will bridge generations and be a reminder about what matters in life.  It is a little nudge, a reminder that the Silent Generation, usually in the background, is a hidden treasure and that it is the last moment when we can discover it and learn something.