There is a silent face with some movement – eyes are closed – breathing in and out. Smells become strong too, and yes, they do distract me from the practice. There is a scent of sandalwood incense and a small sign of a tension in my armpit. A peaceful moment, no sound in the meditation room, chaos outside the frames. Like a city is restless – or a mind too as it is a bigger construction than any city ever was or will be. I witness it all and let them go too. I am here. I am peaceful.
Mind might be steady or might not be – you cannot see. Neither can you see the city, but you can see all the lights captured. Exposure time was long so I could record my breathing on the film. It was like a performance made with the smallest but most essential tool in the world, breath – and smelling while breathing because you cannot even avoid that. I could smell rosemary under my nose and neighbours cooking some dinner while exposing the negative. I felt lonely because I had no company for dinner that night.
Nanna Hänninen
