This photographic series is the result of accidents that occurred on two separate occasions. The first was in 2022 when I accidentally double-exposed the same analog film: once in the snowy landscapes of Saint-Étienne, France, and later during a summer vacation with my family on the island of Djerba, Tunisia. The winter landscapes of Saint-Étienne thus intertwined with Djerba’s sun and sea on the same visual surface.
In 2023, a similar situation occurred when scenes from France, Tunisia, and Egypt were fused into a single photo due to confusion between exposed and unexposed films. I discovered these accidental superimpositions during the film’s digitization process, and I felt that these images expressed the idea that photos sometimes impose their own destiny.
The superimposition of cultural and national identities on a single visual surface reflects the complexity of merging multiple identities into one, as experienced by migrants. Each photo in this series results from the fusion of two images taken in different places and countries. The borders between these spaces disappear or blur, offering a visual accumulation of cultural and national identities that blend and coexist.
Analog Photography
Nikon F-501 // 28-70mm
2022–2023
Aya Chriki 