- City
- Toronto
- Booth
- Nathan Phillips Square
Booth 220
Margaret Gdyczynski
My interest in photographing architecture was ignited by the interiors of old basilicas while I studied art in Florence, Italy. I’m an OCAD alumni and I’ve been exploring historical structures, new builds and the details that often trigger memories and personal associations.
Our memories can be triggered by sights, sounds, smells, or even emotions. They can be vivid and detailed, transporting us back in time and evoking emotions, from joy and happiness to sadness or regret. Nostalgia is the emotional response to those memories. It arises when we encounter something that reminds us of a particular time or place from our past. Nostalgia can be triggered by music, photographs, or even conversations. It can evoke a sense of comfort and longing for the past. In these photographs, I explore how memories and nostalgia are deeply intertwined.
This collection explores the complex emotions tied to longing and the experience of returning to familiar places after a long absence. Through a juxtaposition of old architecture and new design, the work reflects the tension between the past and present, the memories that linger, and the transformation that time inevitably brings. The contrast between the worn, weathered surfaces of historical structures and the sleek, contemporary elements symbolizes the duality of nostalgia and progress. The exhibition invites viewers to reflect on the ways we navigate change, both within ourselves and in the spaces, we once called home.
My method borrows from a film camera process of double exposure. It starts with photographing various angles of the interior space, then the multiple exposures are layered digitally to create a single impression.
The photographs in this exhibit are from Florence + Rome, Italy, Montreal and Toronto.
