With 'Portals in Plain Sight' Debanjan Majumdar takes us into his fictional world

By Debanjan Majumdar

'Portals In Plain Sight' by Debanjan Majumdar is composed of everyday photographs which construct a personal narrative and suggests an ambiguous connection to ordered nature and the undefined external structure behind it. By utilizing the ambivalence of reality and image contained within photography makes it possible to move back and forth between the external world and his inner self.

'I attempted to show the diversity of the world through the visualization of the entanglement and fluidity that occurs within that relationship. These images taken all over the world (6 different countries, to be exact) over the last 3 years. The earliest one from the set is of the police keeping a watchful eye over an empty plot of land which I took in Dec'22 in India. The latest image (a few insects that fell prey to an elaborate web network) is from Turkey taken a couple months back.'

'I don't believe in God. But I would like to think that there are secret doorways hidden all around us which lead to alternate realities and worlds we have never seen.'

What motivated you to make this project / How did this project come into being?

I don't recall a specific moment or event when I thought of this project. I think it was a product of my innate attraction towards fictional stories. I used to read a lot of fictional work when I was younger. I am an avid film watcher as well. And I believe all good stories have a 'portal' of sorts - a gateway to something new, something unknown. 

Did you plan the images in advance or did they unfold intuitively as you explored?

I made the images as I explored. Some of the pictures were shot before I even conceptualised the project. However, since I had the idea in mind, I subconsciously looked for scenes that could fit the 'theme'.

What was your relationship with the locations you photographed? Are these familiar or unfamiliar spaces to you?

I took some of these images in familiar neighbourhoods in London, UK where I currently live. The rest are from places that I doubt I will ever visit again. But unfamiliar spaces excite me to find something new. As I am sure many will agree with me, it could feel uninspiring at times shooting the familiar places over and over again. 

What kind of response or reflection do you hope this work evokes in viewers?

I would love it if this work makes the viewers imagine and make their own stories of portals. Maybe someone remembers a piece of fiction they read or a movie they saw from some of the images. That would make me really happy.

Follow Debanjan Majumdar

---

Have something to share?

If you like what we do, consider supporting us by sharing this post. To submit your visit uncommonstudio.in or mail us at uncommonstudio.in@gmail.com