Being Here

• Photographer
  Øyvind Hjelmen
• Prize
  Gold in Book / Fine Art

Opening with a poem by Nobel laureate Jon Fosse, the book takes readers on a visually poetic and interior journey of enigmatic photography. The collection reflects a human desire or inclination to leave a mark, to express “I was here", even if only momentarily. As the open narrative unfolds page by page, evocative themes emerge: home, travel, awakening, abandonment, transcendence, wandering, loneliness, reflection, and memory. The book allows viewers to decode the layers and narratives while inevitably drawing their feelings, memories, and associations into the personal yet universal images.