A History of Dis(appearing)

In 1992, Marta, the identical twin of my mother, left home for the United States. At that time, the sisters were 25 years old.

She had a twin sister and they looked so similar that only family and close friends could tell them apart. She was the younger twin, only a few minutes younger, but she was also the more courageous one. She left with her family.

Boxes packed full of second-hand clothes that were yet to come into fashion in Europe, Big Red cinnamon chewing gum. Long phone calls facilitated by connections in the local Council, and short email messages some years later. An image of the United States was taking shape for us.

She stepped out of the plane at the O’Hare International Airport in January. It was freezing outside. The roads were too wide and had the colour of sand, and were partially covered by a thin layer of snow. Years later, LeAnn explained to me that roads in each of the 50 states in America have a specific shade after the stone that was used for their construction.

-------------------------------------

In 1992, Marta, the identical twin of my mother, left home for the United States. At that time, the sisters were 25 years old. A History of Dis/appearing in America is a series of photographs that bring two different landscapes - the USA and Slovakia - into one entity. My focus shifted from a personal narrative to a more universal one after tracing the history of migration from former Czechoslovakia to the USA. Marta's story is a story of a life path, affected by a decision to leave.