Rooftop Frequencies (2020)

Photographic diptych and reflection

During the COVID-19 lockdown, I found myself alone in a small studio in Barcelona — the only year I ever got to live abroad. Each evening at 7PM, we were asked to go outside and clap for the healthcare workers. And in doing so, we suddenly began to see each other — strangers turned neighbors — emerging like silhouettes onto their balconies and rooftops.

These rooftops, once unseen and unnoticed, became a stage for human presence and quiet resilience. I began photographing what I saw: people perched above the city like birds, occupying spaces once reserved for antennas and satellite dishes. That parallel struck me deeply. We were now the ones broadcasting signals of presence, longing, and solidarity — not to distant galaxies, but to each other.

In this work, I wanted to form a connection between what is seen and what isn’t. The rooftop, once a space for invisible transmissions, became a place for social encounter. A reminder that even when grounded, we seek orbit — to connect, to be witnessed, to belong.

Now, more than ever, we are the satellites.