ZAMEEN AASMAN KA FARQ : Marc Ohrem-Leclef

Zameen Aasman Ka Farq
"As far apart as the Earth is from the Sky"

2016 - ongoing

In India, the language commonly used to describe men holding hands or interlocking pinkies as they walk, embracing or leaning intimately into one another, is “friendship.”

In Zameen Aasman Ka Farq, I focus on the affection between Indian men: physical touch that offers a window into the meanings of friendship, love, sexuality and queerness. In photographs and texts, the work aims to visualize the many dimensions that love takes on for my collaborators, from the open and the socially accepted to the unspoken.

Since 2017 I have collaborated with people from a broad variety of backgrounds and identities, including nonbinary, on making analog, medium-format portraits and digital video footage, as well as recording over 250 conversations in 19 languages, resulting in over 4500 pages of transcripts.

With translators, I have traveled to cities and villages across these territories: West Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Assam, Sikkim, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh.

Features include British Journal of Photography by Diane Smyth (2017), and LensCulture's Art Photography Awards ('Juror's Pick' by Alona Pardo, 2018).

Please email for access to a more comprehensive selection of the work.

Assistants:
Sohel Khondekar, Mubeen Siddiqui, Jaideep Kshirsagar, Rohan Mathews, Deepesh Meher, Avadhoot Potdar, Chetan Sharma, Ayu Bhagat, Achal Dodia, Shivalal Gautam.

Transcription/Translation Team:
Chikirsha Prakash, Daksh Goyal, Chakshu Sharma, Deb Sanyal, Ankit Andurlekar, Niranjan Nampoothiri, Sreyartha Krishna, J. Mandakini, Sraiyanti Haricharan, Vaishnavi Suresh, Shivakumar Lanka, Bindu B., Karan Malhotra, Achal Dodia.

We sat in the fields near the Krishna River. Imtiyaj and Ravsaheb spoke of their sexuality, family bonds and the futures they envision.
Maharashtra - 2018

Archival Pigment Print from Color Negative

I like to pass by the Krishna River early in the morning.
Karnataka - 2020

Archival Pigment Print from Color Negative

Excerpt from a conversation, audio-recorded.

Archival Inkjet Print

Goal and Chandan stopped on their bike commute.
Sahibganj, Jharkhand - 2017

Archival Pigment Print from B/W Negative

Friends Chotu and Rajan leaving the temple.
Jharkhand - 2017

Archival Pigment Print from Color Negative

Excerpt from a conversation, audio-recorded.

Archival Inkjet Print

On an evening commuter train, back towards Kolkata.
West Bengal - 2023

Archival Pigment Print from B/W Negative

Rutwik in his room.
Maharashtra - 2023

Archival Pigment Print from Color Negative

Excerpt from a conversation, audio-recorded.

Archival Inkjet Print

Day laborers in Sahebganj.
Jharkhand - 2017

Archival Pigment Print from B/W Negative

Yash drying his Gamchha in the breeze, after his morning bath and worship.
Jharkhand - 2017

Archival Pigment Print from Color Negative

Excerpt from a conversation, audio-recorded.

Archival Inkjet Print

Ammaji played with the leaves under the trees in the Upper Lake Park.
Madhya Pradesh - 2023

Archival Pigment Print from B/W Negative

During a brief pause at work at Manikarnika Ghat, Ramlala disentangled Pappu’s necklaces.
Uttar Pradesh - 2023

Archival Pigment Print from B/W Negative

Excerpt from a conversation, audio-recorded.

Archival Inkjet Print

Sundor presided lovingly over our meeting, while Prosenjit held Sujan. We spoke about their portrayals of female characters in the tradition of Bengali Gajon theatre.
West Bengal - 2023

Archival Pigment Print from Color Negative

Yash took me on an early morning walk around the village. I asked him to take me where he meets his friends in the evenings.
Bastar - 2020

Archival Pigment Print from B/W Negative

Gaurab and Ravi asked for a selfie near the Ganges.
Jharkhand 2017

Archival Pigment Print from B/W Negative

Excerpt from an informal interview, audio-recorded.

Archival Inkjet Print

Excerpt from a conversation, audio-recorded.

Archival Inkjet Print

Shanti showed me a folder where she keeps articles from which she learned the terms that describe her identity. It holds the documents she signed for her Sexual Reassignment Surgery. She was never able to realize that dream.
Andra Pradesh - 2020

Archival Pigment Print from Color Negative

Sudheer with his mother and wife, Vidya. When we sat down to talk about Sudheer's journey, Vidya announced: 'I know everything, we can talk about anything'.
Maharashtra - 2018

Archival Pigment Print from Color Negative

Ana Rose.
Uttar Pradesh - 2023

Archival Pigment Print from B/W Negative

Excerpt from a conversation, audio-recorded.

Archival Inkjet Print

Excerpt from a conversation, audio-recorded.

Archival Inkjet Print

Suresh and I sat in Cubbon Park in the cruising area near the Parade Grounds.
Karnataka - 2019

Archival Pigment Print from Color Negative

A cinema hall in Mumbai where men come to cruise for 'fun' with other men. I had a long conversation with a man who asked me to name him 'Amit'.
Mumbai - 2018

Archival Pigment Print from Color Negative

Ravsaheb works in a group that suppports male sex workers in a small town.
Maharashtra - 2018

Archival Pigment Print from B/W Negative

Excerpt from a conversation, audio-recorded.

Archival Inkjet Print

Arjun recounted the loss of affection when he moved to Chicago for his studies, and the loss of freedom when he moved back to his parents' home in Bangalore.
Karnataka - 2018

Archival Pigment Print from Color Negative

Aniket paced nervously for a while when I reached his room.
New Delhi, 2017

Archival Pigment Print from B/W Negative

Arghadeep sat on the porch of his ancestral home.
Assam -2023

Archival Pigment Print from BW Negative

Excerpt from a conversation, audio-recorded.

Archival Inkjet Print

Deep into the night, Ajmal and I waited together for our train to Chennai.
Tamil Nadu - 2019

Archival Pigment Print from B/W Negative

The sounds of the birds is omnipresent.
Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh - 2023

Archival Pigment Print from B/W Negative

Patruni Chindananda Sastry above the clouds.
Telangana - 2020

Archival Pigment Print from B/W Negative

Excerpt from an informal interview, audio-recorded.

Archival Inkjet Print

Excerpt from a conversation, audio-recorded.

Archival Inkjet Print

Hoshang recounted how in his youth he was badly beaten up one night in San Francisco. ‘That night I realized’ he said ‘that only through education I would stay alive. And so I began to study, instead of cruising every night.’ Telangana - 2020

Archival Pigment Print from Color Negative

Our room in Sangli. The manager of Hotel Great Maratha angrily accused me of making porn films. I had briefly met my queer friends in the lobby the evening before.
Maharashtra - 2020

Archival Pigment Print from Color Negative

Irfan came to the hotel after Friday prayer.
Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh - 2017

Archival Pigment Print from Color Negative

Excerpt from a conversation, audio-recorded.

Archival Inkjet Print

Akthar was eager for us to meet his best friend Dilshaad, in his barber shop. Punjab - 2017

Archival Pigment Print from B/W Negative

Randheer and Rahul, at home.
Uttar Pradesh - 2023

Archival Pigment Print from B/W Negative

Rachana and Shoaib in their new home in Hyderabad. Although Shoaib has been with the trans activist for years, he was hesitant to appear in a portrait with Rachana.
Telangana - 2020

Archival Pigment Print from B/W Negative

Excerpt from a conversation, audio-recorded.

Archival Inkjet Print

Elton recounted how his penchant for dressing up and applying make-up as a boy used to entertain his family, until the moment when he eventually came out to them.
Bombay - 2022

Archival Pigment Print from Color Negative

Muneesh in his fishing village near Rameswaram.
Tamil Nadu - 2019

Archival Pigment Print from B/W Negative

Excerpt from an informal interview, audio-recorded.

Archival Inkjet Print

Bishal spoke of his lover and his failed marriage.
Sikkim - 2023

Archival Pigment Print from Color Negative

Following the sounds of a marching band through the lanes of Aizawl, I eventually met the band leader, Mualhlun.
Mizoram - 2023

Archival Pigment Print from BW Negative

We were welcomed with flowers.
Arunachal Pradesh - 2023

Archival Pigment Print from Color Negative

Excerpt from a conversation, audio-recorded.

Archival Inkjet Print

After a two hour trek, we arrived in Sanjay's village in the foothills of the Himalayas. #1
Uttarakhand - 2017

Archival Pigment Print from Color Negative

After hours of long, exhausting conversations -or attempts thereof- with tribals deep in the forests of Bastar, I walked around Gudiya Village.

Archival Pigment Print from Color Negative

I asked Ayyanar and Manimaran to meet me for a conversation in the morning, after they returned from sea.
Tamil Nadu - 2019

Archival Pigment Print from B/W Negative

Excerpt from a conversation, audio-recorded.

Archival Inkjet Print

Ganesh asked to make a portrait, and Mr. Solomon insisted on giving a 'pose'.
Tamil Nadu - 2019

Archival Pigment Print from B/W Negative

Rajnesh and Dheemana were on their way home from a party when they stopped their rickshaw at the chai shop. I had been warned the crowd would become ‘rough’ in the evenings.
Karnataka - 2018

Archival Pigment Print from Color Negative

Excerpt from an informal interview, audio-recorded.

Archival Inkjet Print

Excerpt from an informal interview, audio-recorded.

Archival Inkjet Print

As we waited for Naveen on Manikarnika Ghat, I noticed Shivam and Vansh playing Stone, Scissor, Rock in the morning sun.
Uttar Pradesh - 2023

Archival Pigment Print from B/W Negative

Koshtak, in Khajuraho.
Madhya Pradesh - 2023

Archival Pigment Print from Color Negative

We woke up before sunrise to visit the workers staying near the rice market during harvest. Bahirav was waking up, holding Tahir in his lap.
Punjab - 2017

Archival Pigment Print from B/W Negative

A class photo, near Chamundeswari Devi Temple.
Karnataka - 2018

Archival Pigment Print from Color Negative

Excerpt from a conversation, audio-recorded.

Archival Inkjet Print

Archival Pigment Print from Color Negative

Safee rents a room away from home where they can dress as a woman. On rare occasion they will go to a private party dressed.
Karnataka - 2018

Archival Pigment Print from Color Negative

Saleem spoke of the deep cultural disconnect he sees between older and younger generations of queer Indians.
Lucknow - 2017

Archival Pigment Print from B/W Negative

Excerpt from an informal interview, audio-recorded.

Archival Inkjet Print

Alina was nervous - she had just left the hospital where her friend passed away earlier that morning. But she wanted a record of the moment so we made a portrait.
Chhattisgarh - 2020

Archival Pigment Print from Color Negative

Siddarth in his fathers shop. A hijra interrupted us, begging for a tip. After they received a dontaion they blessed the shop and winked at Siddarth.
Chhattisgarh - 2020

Archival Pigment Print from B/W Negative

Kartik and I met repeatedly as he maneuvered between meetings to help organize Lucknow's first Gay Pride march and dealing with coming out to his extended family.
Uttar Pradesh - 2017

Archival Pigment Print from B/W Negative

Excerpt from an informal interview, audio-recorded.

Archival Inkjet Print

Excerpt from a conversation, audio-recorded.

Archival Inkjet Print

Rajeev and Arun, with Amma looking on.
Tamil Nadu - 2019

Archival Pigment Print from B/W Negative

Excerpt from a conversation, audio-recorded.

Archival Inkjet Print

Secret Warriors. Uttarakhand - 2018

Archival Pigment Print from B/W Negative

Outside Dakinpath Satra a small fair grew during the afternoon. We all waited for nightfall, when the Rakh performances would begin.
Assam - 2023

Archival Pigment Print from Half-Frame Color Negative

Anmol's son in law was busy taking selfies after their worship at the temple.
Rajasthan - 2018

Archival Pigment Print from Color Negative

Chandon and Asish struck a pose, on Nam Ghor Ghat.
Assam - 2023

Archival Pigment Print from B/W Negative

Excerpt from a conversation, audio-recorded.

Archival Inkjet Print

I was turned away by the Arunachal border police. I waited three days for my permit to enter, and to finally meet Sawang in Itanagar.
Arunachal Pradesh - 2023

Archival Pigment Print from B/W Negative

The second time Bushra and I met she allowed me into her and Akhtar’s home. After a week spent together, on my last evening with the family she drew a mehendi on my hand.
Photograph by Ayu Bhagat. Punjab - 2022

Archival Pigment Print from Color Negative

Cities, Villages and Hamlets where I have worked since 2017.

(West Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh)

Samples of transcriptions and translations of 250+ recorded conversations.
The archive now comprises over 4500 pages of transcripts, in twenty languages.