The Nature of Things

Humans are the only living beings who are aware of the finality of life. We are bound to accept this fact with total vulnerability. But how can the transient nature of our personalities be acknowledged in an individualistic society?

In this photo series, Balázs Turós seeks answers through a sensitive exploration of the boundaries of life, the intersection of passing and birth. We are ultimately reminded of the incomprehensible, which lies beyond the capacity of human consciousness.

At the two poles of the photo series are the photographer’s grandmother, who has dementia, and his firstborn child. They are two people in their most vulnerable period: one is moving toward releasing attachment to life, disappearing gradually, while the other exists in the uncertainty of the unfolding life. In this story, time is not linear but circular and layered, as passing and birth intertwine.

"My grandmother’s disease carries within the starting point of my fears. If our personality completely disappears at the moment of our death, we could think of dementia as that frozen moment in which, day after day, we slowly drift away from ourselves."

These images subtly evoke the frailness of the human soul - showing us that solace can only be sought by experiencing a sense of unity and the disappearance of all separateness. In this approach, life is an in-between, transitory moment in space that we are given to experience and perceive.

The collaboration had a great impact on my grandmother during which our relationship has also evolved. The reason I started to record videos was to show this personal aspect of the project: https://vimeo.com/900641485