Historicity is the temporality that gives rise to history. All things have their place and time, and nothing past is outside of history. It is the historical awareness that recognizes the “simultaneity” of past, present, and future. It paints a reality of the historical in both set‐theoretical and semiotic terms, its’ issue thus being an ontological question about how the past is transcribed. History reveals itself in the details, while historicity is informed by the transformative relationship between past and present — explored here through the compulsive archiving of transnational terrain. Cracks, litter, and etched lovers’ names emerge as inscriptions and visual articulations of a past and present temporally estranged, yet spatially embedded. This system of signs lends to a new form of ethnographic mapping. Formulaically framed, this documentation provides a visual field study of how humans reshape the natural topography of disparate times and places — reflecting both an undifferentiated globalized world, and one of cultural polities and realities.
The series "Historicity" seeks to unveil the intricate tapestry of history woven into every detail, while embracing the profound interplay between the past and present that defines the essence of historicity. Through an immersive exploration of transnational landscapes, the compulsive act of archiving becomes a gateway into understanding the transformative continuum that links eras. The fissures that mark the passage of time, the discarded remnants of bygone days, and the enduring traces of lovers' emotions etched into surfaces, all converge as tangible inscriptions and visual narratives. These echoes from a temporally disjointed yet spatially interconnected past and present serve as a testament to the enduring dialogue between epochs.
Within these symbolic signifiers lies a novel approach to ethnographic mapping, where signs become coordinates on the map of human experience. The meticulous framing of these artifacts captures a visual ethnography, illuminating the intricate ways in which human hands mold and reshape the natural contours of diverse temporal and spatial domains. In this endeavor, the work mirrors the complex duality of our world—a globalized sphere where boundaries blur, and a realm of distinct cultural identities and lived truths persist. "Historicity" is an homage to the enigma of time, a visual symphony that harmonizes the cadence of history with the melody of historicity, inviting viewers to contemplate the continuum that binds us all.