Vanessa Forstén's (b. 1990) self-portrait series Revir is a photographic exploration into a young woman's identity. The series addresses how a young woman experiences her own body, mind and the physical home she is living in. Home is our own empire, in which we are safe from the surrounding world. Home is the only place where we are free to be who we really are.
The self-portrait series was shot at Forstén's own home when she was completely alone. The longing to be alone speaks volumes about today's individualism and the independence of other people. The series aims to investigate how easily a person can isolate herself into her own state of mind and emotions, when she moves to live alone for the first time. The end of the childhood and the beginning of the adulthood is a challenging phase, as it tests young adults how to balance life between independence and loneliness.
Forstén is interested in the relationship between the model and the photographer. What happens when the photographer and the person being photographed are the same person? The objectifying gaze shifts completely when the photographed model is the photographer herself. Being alone in the safety of one’s own home helps one to communicate to oneself better. It makes one understand one’s own feelings and state of mind, and accept who we are without the burden of pretending for others. Even though the photographs are intimate, Forstén wants to share her personal experiences of shallow feelings to the more complex and oppressive emotions. In this work Forstén is interested in bringing the hidden and often unspoken emotions to the view for a larger audience.
