Between These Folded Walls, Utopia

A utopia is not just a (unattainable) dream world. The Greek ‘utopia’ can also be translated as ‘no place’. Fascinated by this double meaning, photographer duo Sarah Cooper (1974, USA) and Nina Gorfer (1979, Austria) travelled the world. In countries such as Argentina, Kyrgyzstan and Qatar, they spoke to women about migration, being uprooted, collective cultural memory, feminism and the formation of identity. With the knowledge they gained, they then focused on young women in their own local Swedish community for Between These Folded Walls, Utopia. The women portrayed came to Sweden as refugees or are part of the second generation of migrants and are all aged between 17 and 24. Cooper & Gorfer: ‘The age was important to us because, after all, in these years you dream a lot, you believe in the social engineering of the world, your identity is still developing and the mental baggage you carry is different from later in life.’

For Between These Folded Walls, Utopia, all women were asked to bring an item of clothing, object or jewellery that is part of their identity, culture or has been in the family for several generations. Due to the abrupt moves, it was often impossible to bring more than what would fit in a trouser or jacket pocket: a key from Damascus, a scarf from grandma, a bracelet or a ring. The portraits, which at first glance exude a heavenly and fairy-tale atmosphere, were made with particular attention to jewellery and clothing where the cultural significance does not go unnoticed.

Cover image: Cooper & Gorfer, Yellow Roseline