Ahle Hava A ‘people of the wind’

“A ‘people of the wind’ (Ahl-e Havā in Farsi) is, at its heart, a soul ensnared by one of the winds—ancient, ethereal forces that weave through the fabric of existence, mysterious and unknowable. These winds, untamed and magical, hold dominion over humankind, against whose relentless power no individual, no force, can stand. Before such overwhelming might, humans are but fragile beings, rendered powerless and adrift, with no refuge but to offer up sacrifices and yield to their will. The winds are ever-present, swirling across seas and sweeping over lands, tirelessly seeking out the weary, the lost, and the troubled. In places gripped by fear and unrest, their breath is strongest, and in every corner scarred by poverty and despair, their influence deepens, casting shadows long and unshakable.”

Excerpt from the novel People of the Wind by Gholam Hossein Saedi.

23 years and 6 months, 8 hours in the dark every day

The mining operation in the Tezreh region, located in the southern part of the Alborz mountain range, began in 1969 with the cooperation and technology of the former Soviet republics. The Tezreh mining complex has a production capacity of 125,000 tons per year, achieved through the efforts of 800 workers. In some areas, miners work at depths of up to 2,500 meters in the Alborz mountains, enduring humid and suffocating conditions with low safety standards. Each miner is required to extract six tons of coal daily by the end of their shift, and no one is allowed to leave until they meet this quota. After twenty-three years and six months of working in the mine, miners retire. Subsequently, they continue to work on contracts with lower salaries and more difficult conditions.

1988

In this series, I have used negatives that expired in the year 1988 (1367 in the Persian calendar). These negatives were supposed to capture a reality before 1988, but by using them to take photos decades later, it seems that the decay rooted in them has found a connection with my mind and surroundings.

The nature of photography always refers us to the past and, according to a certain definition, to death. However, these photos, through surpassing the expiration date of the negatives, point to a future that is as imaginary and vague as these distorted images.