Talking Heads volunteer Dipalika Mohanty has created a photographic response to Traumascapes: On Survivors’ Terms, which took place as part of our opening event Manifesto at the Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival 2023.

The complex and vivid lives around us that we deconstruct as viewers and photographers, and through photography we construct single moments. The visual aspect serves as a door.

What really sat with me from the panel discussion was filmmaker Julie-Yara Atz talking about having to explain an experience versus never wanting to explain art. You get sucked into one fragment, not knowing how to explain, and it then becomes repetitive for the person having gone through it.

By taking the liberty to speak to Julie-Yara post-screening, it was obvious that “living the character” is a tough representation to detach from for our sanity and wellbeing. I realise that this encapsulates photographs for me. I have the power to take the moment and keep it away.

Photos sit in my gallery forever and ever, but it was when I shared a few with my friends without any thought to it. They had important things to say that I wanted to hear; it made them happy or they saw the ‘lil bee’ in one that I shared with them:

“It’s so nice. In life everything and everyone has their job, even living is so hard.” – My dear friend from Izimir. I had not looked at it that way!

Dipalika Mohanty

Out of Place Collection

they stood still

i fell

days were ‘hard’ but i saw flowers

don’t wanna go home