Close Enough?

^{Alienation is defined by Rahel Jaeggi as ‘a relation of relationlessness.’ A contemporary dilemma lies in the dying of our relationship with the real world and the illusion of being closely related to different people, places, and things around us. In other words, we tend to follow common social values and conventions, such as success or the pursuit of pleasure, at the expense of our own critical thinking or authentic engagement. In our accelerated society, there are fewer and fewer real experiences, but more fast-food-like, specious experiences of consumption. Photography contributes to this process of increased alienation.

Close Enough? explores travel and souvenir gathering, blending elements of fiction and reality. Back in the 17th century, a custom of the Grand Tour became popular among upper-class young Europeans. While tourism is available to more people now, it is still a profound way to educate us. At the same time, the concept of bucket list and the necessity to post proof of our traveling experience on social media has become a norm today. In this fast-paced society, our compulsion to gather photographs and souvenirs has come to define the very essence of the travel experience. Once the journey ends, photographs and souvenirs become part of collections in our private spaces. They seem to bear the role of "continuing the experience," silently staying there, almost like an epitaph for that hastily concluded journey. I strive to draw closer, attempting to establish a relationship with the travel destinations, but eventually find myself at the furthest distance from them.}