Mikael Siirilä
Distances
Fábrica Cal Garbat
For this author, distance is one of the first decisions any photographer must make: it determines how much is seen, what remains outside the frame and how the image is subsequently interpreted, as well as how much eludes the viewer’s full understanding.
A portrait of the father, a fragment of the daughter, travel sketches: seemingly unconnected photographs that offer no complete truth, only fragments and traces which, when placed together, begin to resonate in a different way.
The project stems from a simple idea: it is not possible to fully access the experiences of others, and faced with this impossibility, the author acts as an archaeologist reconstructing narratives that may never have existed exactly as imagined—a way of moving away from certainty towards suggestion.
Mikael Siirilä (Finland, 1978) is an artist specialising in photographic laboratory processes.
He learnt to develop photographs in a darkroom from a very young age and, after studying philosophy and pursuing a career in graphic design and branding, rediscovered his passion for photography. During the 2010s, he built his own darkroom and delved deeper into printing techniques.
Since 2022, he has exhibited in Spain, Italy, France, Denmark and Germany. His first photobook, Here, in Absence, published by Iikki Books, was shortlisted for the 2024 Prix Nadar. He is represented by Polka Galerie.
