Sons of Suns

Every evening at dusk, the narrow pathways of Oia, a picturesque village on Greece's Santorini Island, are packed with crowds. Wave after wave of travelers journey across oceans to witness the same setting sun, each carrying its image back to their distant homes.

With the advent of smartphones, the production of digital imagery has surged at an exponential rate. In this era of visual abundance, the sun at its most enchanting—during the golden hour—has become a favored idol in humanity’s massive image-making rituals. People near and far raise their cameras toward this luminous orb, like how our ancestors worship this sacred figure. They press their shutters in unison, whether tightly packed in throngs or scattered across the globe, creating a seemingly endless stream of dazzling images. But behind these radiant frames, what emotions, thoughts, or dreams are they capturing?

Motivated by this curiosity, I embarked on a project to collect sunset photographs from netizens, inviting contributions from those who have pointed their cameras at the sinking sun. Through this collaborative effort, I aim to engage in a conversation with the many gazes directed at this universal spectacle, weaving together a collective portrait of humanity's shared yet deeply personal connection with the sunset.