Overview

The Presence of Absence is a decade-long documentary body of work that reveals the many layers of trauma, loss, grief, mourning, and healing, in the aftermath of war. Inbal Abergil weaves stories of the Gold Star Families whose relatives were killed in action, together with still lifes of the loved one's personal effects, and portraits of the Casualty Notification Officers who deliver the horrific news to the families of loved ones killed in military service. The still lifes reveal the survivors's methods of coping with death, and how an object can contain the presence of a loved one, reminding us how painful and comforting it can be at the same time. The portraits urge us to look at what no family member wants to meet at their front door, and yet the notifiers knock on the door, knowing that everyone involved will be scarred for life; each time, they hope to remember their script and make no mistakes so that healing will be possible. While every loss is unique, the Four-channel video brings our attention to four Gold Star Mothers who lost their sons and discuss how to continue living after the war. They offer guidelines for dealing with loss and how to approach others who might be struggling with grief. The photographs, personal stories, and videos in The Presence of Absence invite us to reflect on the poignant story of a community of survivors who keep the memories alive as they strive to rebuild their lives in the aftermath of loss, and invite us to create a platform for reflection and discussion of the human price of conflict.

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9783969001967

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Inbal Abergil is a New York-based documentary artist and educator, originally from Jerusalem and of North African descent. Her practice focuses on the aftermath of war and the human cost of conflict. Her work has been exhibited internationally in museums and galleries, such as The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, The Nathan Cummings Foundation, NYC, and Aperture Gallery, NYC. Abergil's work is in numerous permanent collections and has been published widely. She received her M.F.A. in Visual Arts from Columbia University and her B.F.A. with honors from the Midrasha School of Art, Israel. In addition to her studio practice, Abergil is an Associate Professor of Photography at Pace University in New York City.

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