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FINAL CALL TO ENTER AAP MAGAZINE B&W: PUBLICATION AND $1,000 CASH PRIZES
FINAL CALL TO ENTER AAP MAGAZINE B&W: PUBLICATION AND $1,000 CASH PRIZES

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By Inbal Abergil

Publisher: Kehrer Verlag
Publication date: November 2025
Print length: 192 pages
Language: English
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Inbal Abergil: The Presence of Absence is a deeply considered photographic work shaped over more than a decade, tracing the quiet, enduring aftermath of war. At its heart lies a moment that cleaves life in two: the unexpected ring of a doorbell, the arrival of news no family is prepared to receive. Through a patient and restrained visual language, Abergil turns her attention to the lives of Gold Star Families, exploring how grief settles into the fabric of daily existence and how, over time, individuals attempt to move forward without ever truly moving on.

The book weaves together intimate testimonies, formal portraits, and contemplative still lifes. Personal belongings—folded uniforms, worn shoes, childhood photographs—are photographed with a careful neutrality that heightens their emotional weight. These objects become vessels of memory, suspended between presence and absence. They speak of love and continuity, but also of rupture. In their stillness, Abergil reveals how mourning is not only an emotional process but also a physical one, rooted in spaces, textures, and gestures repeated in solitude.

Equally striking are the portraits of Casualty Notification Officers, whose duty it is to deliver devastating news with precision and dignity. Their composed expressions hint at the burden of responsibility they carry. By including them, Abergil broadens the narrative beyond private sorrow, acknowledging the structured rituals that surround loss and the fragile care required in its first moments.

A four-channel video component extends the project into the realm of spoken memory. Four Gold Star Mothers share reflections on survival, resilience, and the complicated terrain of healing. Their words do not offer easy consolation; instead, they provide a testament to endurance. The Presence of Absence stands as a sober meditation on the human cost of conflict, honoring remembrance while suggesting that even in profound darkness, the work of rebuilding life—however incomplete—remains possible.

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