May We Keep in Touch

Sonja Mercedes

2024 — Netherlands

About this series

The series is about physical intimacy, a research on the way we touch each other. Due to the digital age we live in and the aftermath of the pandemic, I noticed a decrease in physical contact. The innocence I used to touch with as a child has been replaced by a more conscious way of interacting. It made me realize how I’ve taken some interactions for granted, like climbing on my fathers back, hugs I can’t give anymore and kisses I never gave.
I explored different relationships and the nuances of physical contact within those relationships. All these forms of touch fall under a universal language that I am afraid of losing. That is why I want to open the conversation with this work and invite the viewer to feel again.

Photographer: Sonja Mercedes
Nationality: Dutch
Based in: The Netherlands
Instagram: @sonja.mercedes

My photography is an excuse, a way to make sense of all that has left me with unanswered questions. My works start off as ego documents that function as a way to cope with loose emotions. Through my photography, film and poetry, I lend myself the opportunity to dive deeper into personal relationships. Behind the comfort of my camera I dare to question more. By researching personal issues in a broader sense, I can gain a better understanding of both myself and others. My work is ment to be shared, to open up a conversation. To not only take some time to appreciate and celebrate what might seem ordinary, but to also study it and grow from these experiences.