Ephemeral Orders is a 46-page photobook evolving from my Final Major Project (FMP). Through a staged photoshoot installation, drapery becomes a central element—both a veil and a witness to time. Inspired by personal memory, particularly moments with my grandmother, the project explores the tension between presence and absence, ephemerality and permanence. Fabric, shifting between concealment and revelation, becomes a metaphor for the passage of time.

Concept & Progression

Set in locations across Naples, the project engages with spaces layered in history and transformation. Among them is a Roman tuff cave on the water, hewn from Neapolitan tuff stone—a volcanic material shaped over millennia, deeply tied to the city’s architectural and geological identity. Its porous surface, both fragile and enduring, mirrors the themes of the project: impermanence, erosion, and preservation. A Neoclassical terrace in Posillipo frames the Gulf of Naples, where wind-stirred drapery mimics sails and turning pages, blurring the boundaries between land, sea, and memory. A 1950s living room, veiled in white fabric, transforms into a surreal space where personal and collective memory intertwine.

The photobook unfolds in four phases, transitioning from raw, unaltered spaces to surreal transformations. Drapery is gradually introduced, interacting with light, air, and objects until it dominates the setting, evoking a sense of suspended time. Scenes alternate between still environments and models performing symbolic, repetitive actions—playing cards, reading, smoking—highlighting the cyclical nature of memory.