SAFED

Описание: In 2018, I came to Delhi to study, and almost immediately the city confronted me with stark differences that I had never experienced before. Amid the energy and promise that Delhi seemed to offer, there were also moments that revealed a harsher reality. One image in particular has stayed with me ever since: children living and playing inside a public bathroom, while their mother cooked on the floor beside them. It was a sight that was both unsettling and unforgettable, and it forced me to confront the contradictions that coexist within the city.

Later, when it came time for me to present my own portrayal of this so-called “glorious” city, I felt compelled to highlight those very contradictions. During my years at Hansraj College, I had often noticed how areas resembling slums existed right in the heart of Delhi, standing in sharp contrast to the surrounding institutions and urban life. Unfortunately, I could not find the exact locations that had left such a strong impression on me back then. Still, in this project we tried to capture and document the difficult conditions faced by the residents who continue to live in these spaces today.

Rather than presenting a singular, polished image of the city, the attempt was to acknowledge the complexity of Delhi—its beauty and opportunity existing alongside deep inequality. In doing so, the work became less about nostalgia for a memory and more about bearing witness to a reality that continues to persist.