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Ariel Nasr pays homage to the ancient city of Kabul’s modern photographic history through the inclusion of pinhole camera images in this interactive photo and audio journey. 

Determined to address some of the many stereotypes about his father’s country, Nasr has charted a radical departure from the typical news media image of Afghans; one that acknowledges the complexity and beauty of urban life in a society affected by years and years of foreign intervention. 

Reaching past the preconceptions about both subject and form, the project also includes still portraits, moving footage, and audio recordings of Kabul residents from a wide variety of professions and social roles. 

The experience as a whole suggests a set of relationships and social dynamics beyond each individual portrait.  By allowing individuals to tell their own stories, and linking these individuals through a web of associations, Kabul Portraits creates an environment in which the realities and relationships of this society can be pondered without news-oriented editorial intervention.

In the authenticity and relative quiet of this environment, a new and more multi-faceted picture of a place and its people begins to form.

2015, 30 min