Anywhere But Here
2024 - ongoing
This body of work examines constructed simulations and artifacts within our material environment — spaces that function as substitutes for experiences otherwise inaccessible in daily life. The constructed environments I document exist on a spectrum of artificiality. Some, like theme parks and escape rooms, are overtly fabricated, designed to transport visitors into an entirely different reality. Others, such as retirement communities or shopping malls, are rather subtly artificial, blending more seamlessly into the fabric of everyday life. By grouping these locations together, I highlight their shared function: they offer temporary replacements — ersatz thrill, exotic escapism, manufactured nostalgia, a sense of community, or even an illusion of nature — to compensate for the collective longings and desires that reality often fails to provide. These spaces are “haunted by fantasies,” as Foucault describes, embodying shared meanings constructed by late capitalist society and adopted by their inhabitants. Each space is also marked with its era of design and construction, revealing a chronological perspective on societal desires — illuminating what people have long sought and what new cravings have emerged over time.