Aapo Huhta

Omatandangole is a term in the Oshiwambo language that is native to this part of Namibia where the photographs were made between 2016 and 2018. It refers to a kind of mirage that appears in heated air. The title reflects to a photographic pursuit of illusion that is rooted in actuality. The desert turns into an interior landscape where the familiar becomes the unknown. Even though our surroundings are chaotic and broken it is possible to create photographs that show them as complete and pristine, so unlike what they are in reality. And yet – in that brief moment that is captured by the camera, wasn’t that sense of completeness true for a fleeting moment? An elusive bliss that can dissolve as fast as it emerged. The photo series was shortlisted for the Unseen Dummy Award 2018 and received the Artproof Grant 2019.