Class of SoSe 2021
Being a participant in the Student Exchange program during COVID-19 was a complex experience. The coursework took place digitally, and social distancing was felt strongly — emphasizing the limitations in making new connections.
Some of the students were already acquainted, but I knew none of them, and a major motivation in studying abroad is to get to know the local students.
Some of the students were already acquainted, but I knew none of them, and a major motivation in studying abroad is to get to know the local students.
A big question went through my mind — how can I get to know the students in this impossible situation? Following this line of thought, I chose to make my semestrial project on the students in my photography class.
I went to each student's home for the first time, and in fact, I also met them face-to-face for the first time too.
In that way, I had the opportunity to get to know the students for a bit, even though the program was online. We were able to have face-to-face conversations, and together, engaged with my ongoing experience of arriving in a new and foreign place.
In that way, I had the opportunity to get to know the students for a bit, even though the program was online. We were able to have face-to-face conversations, and together, engaged with my ongoing experience of arriving in a new and foreign place.
I tried to convey those feelings through portraits of the students in their private and personal environments, after a deep-as-can-be conversation, and an attempt at deepening the acquaintanceship between us.,All the while I was also exploring my ability as a photographer in creating new relationships through a photographic experience involving two strangers.
HAW University, Hamburg, Germany, Student Exchange program.
