Zero Gravity
Zero Gravity touches on the subject of manifestation of personal feelings, the turmoil of emotions, and the search for the ground. Julia Kaydala explains the driving force she decided to visualize in this story, “It is a feeling of liberation mixed with emptiness, and you're unaware of where it is directing you.” The creation of intense black space highlights the weightlessness and the void. The space beyond what is visible - is perceived as an unexisting matter. While the focus is on the main subject and her experience, a dark void becomes an additional character in this narrative. It defines the subject’s realization of herself, emphasized with distorted mirrors and the additional understanding of one’s character from the reflection.
The project was created by Julia Kaydala, a photographer based in Saint Petersburg, Russia. We speak with Julia about the idea behind Gravity, the desire to explore emptiness and find its form, and the implications of the learning from the project. We discuss the preparation for the shooting, locating the right props with Polina Evina, the stylist in the editorial. Julia describes her work with the model and performer, Katerina Khvastunova, aka ADAMS.
‘In the latest project, Zero Gravity, the main idea was to create a visualization of the feeling that became fundamental for me in a couple of last months. It is a feeling of liberation mixed with emptiness.’
Hi Julia, let’s discuss the project and the main idea behind it?
Hi guys, I'm happy to share my thoughts on the latest project with you. Sometimes, it's difficult for me to express the main 'concepts and ideas' behind what I create or, at least, am trying to. Most of the time, the main theme of my projects is connected to inner worries. It has to do with posing questions and searching for answers. And I can only express it in a visual form. In the latest project, Zero Gravity, the main idea was to create a visualization of the feeling that became fundamental for me in a couple of last months. It is a feeling of liberation mixed with emptiness, and you're unaware of where it is directing you.
‘I wanted to show that emptiness can also be presented as a form with volume, which, as it seems, doesn't lead you to any understanding.’
What was the central emotion you wanted to create with the viewer or as an atmosphere on set?
First and foremost, it was a dialogue with myself. I wanted to show that emptiness can also be presented as a form with volume, which, as it seems, doesn't lead you to any understanding. A long time of existence in this emptiness pushes you towards the realization that the line of this weightlessness begins to be drawn by itself, and you start to feel peace and tranquility. Or maybe this is not emptiness at all, but rather a slow but tangible process of becoming filled, which is very calm, without any bursts, simply accompanied by a process that draws the same line.
‘The most important were distorting mirrors, which strongly absorb space, allowing to produce this feeling of weightlessness and emptiness.’
The blurriness, the mirrors, and the isolated feeling created with art direction increase the curiosity about the character and her world. As we are able to see what is under the spotlight only, the rest remains unknown, and the feeling of alien emerges. What was the technical process of creating the set?
In fact, I did not shoot anything for a long time before this project. Everything was falling apart, I quite couldn't get it together, and a lot of things did not go according to plan. At some point, I became frightened that I would never be able to do what I love again. When I came to this recognition, the images began to return. I quickly wrote to Polina that we had to do something together, and I am grateful for her support. We collected all the props in just two days. The most important were distorting mirrors, which strongly absorb space, allowing to produce this feeling of weightlessness and emptiness. We also created a red circle - this color gave me the feeling of a 'restoration' of the fire inside.
‘We moved very smoothly and without any haste in the center of the space, where I was looking for and catching the right moments for my story.’
What was your interaction with Katerina in terms of building the character through finding the right postures and creating the attitude?
We met Katerina, for the first time, on set. It seemed that her appearance corresponded very well with the central theme of the shooting. I think I was a little confused because of the long break that I had. When you create something that troubles you at the moment, it raises a lot of uncertainties. I did not set any strict direction in terms of the poses; rather, we moved very smoothly and without any haste in the center of the space, where I was looking for and catching the right moments for my story.
Which moment from this project is most precious to you?
I think the end of creation. I felt a kind of relief and accomplishment of the task performed. Although this was my first project on the topic of emptiness - a difficult visualization for me - but I learned a lot from this project, I felt the support of the people who took part in it.
