HERE LIVES MY HOME
"Here Lives My Home" (2008-2012) is a powerful and evocative visual testimony inviting the viewer to consider the impact of revisiting the interiors of one's childhood on one's memories. After more than two decades, Hartmann returns to his parents luxurious canal-side home, a place he fled at a young age to escape domestic violence and isolation. Upon his return, he finds that the house has remained frozen in time, with the same furniture, wallpaper, and even toys that were present when he left, evoking a sense of preservation and timelessness.. The only indication of the passage of time is a towering pile of papers and fallen over cabinets that testifies to his father's continued occupancy.
This series of photographs is a poignant exploration of the concept of autobiographical memory in psychology, and how personal memories can be both fluid and unpredictable, particularly when it comes to traumatic experiences. Through Hartmann's lens, we are given a visual documentation of the emotional turmoil that comes with confronting the past, and the weight of unresolved trauma. The layers of debris that cover every surface serve as a metaphor for the emotional baggage, and the struggle to reconcile the present with the memories of the past. This is a powerful and moving work that delves deep into the human psyche and the ways in which our experiences shape us.
Office One, 2008
Couch In the French Room With Bible, 2008
French Room, Eastern Direction, 2008
Bedroom Father With Drawing On Wall, 2008
Office Two, 2008
French Room, Southern Direction, 2008
Marital Bedroom Western Direction, 2008
Corridor Second Floor, 2008
Head Stain Marital Bedroom, 2008
French Room Western Direction, 2008
Bathroom Second Floor, 2008
Bedroom Father, 2008
