Odem Leibovitz & Odelya Atlasovich

Artists and filmmakers Odelya Atlasovitch and Odem Leibovitz address themes of memory, subtly engaging with personal politics and social issues. Working independently of the commercial film industry, Atlasovitch and Leibovitz have been instrumental in fostering innovative and hybrid narrative cinema.

They live nomadic lives, moving from place to place. Their connection to the world comes through the process of creation, which is not tied to any fixed place but constantly evolves with their journey.

Sometimes it takes them months, even years, to develop an image. The interval between shooting and selecting is crucial, as it separates the image from its original context. Much like their approach to filmmaking, where editing and reflection transform raw footage into narrative layers, their photography follows a similar path. Their archive is an ever-expanding source of material, where the negatives disappear for an indefinite period after the shoot. The darkroom serves as their experimental space, where they manipulate the negative using light, rephotography, chemicals, and the influences of time and chance.

Between the viewer and the image, whether in their films or photographs, a story emerges. They believe that over-explaining their work can diminish its core, stripping away what gives it strength. They aim for viewers to interpret their works freely, beyond their control.

Whether in the darkroom or the editing room, they maintain full control over the process, but once the work is released, it takes on a life of its own, requiring time to reveal its deeper layers.