Marc Ohrem-Leclef: Zameen Aasman Ka Farq – As Distant as Earth and Sky
Zameen Aasman Ka Farq – As Distant as Earth and Sky explores the deep bonds between Indian men, highlighting moments of physical affection such as hand-holding, intertwined pinkies, or the gentle act of leaning on one another.
Through these gestures, the project delves into the complexities surrounding friendship, love, sexuality, and queerness. Marc Ohrem-Leclef’s photographs and accompanying texts reflect the various forms that love can take for his collaborators—ranging from socially accepted expressions to those that remain unspoken.
People from diverse gender identities, classes, and religious backgrounds share their experiences of touch, the evolving importance of physical connection, and shifting societal norms—both expanding and restrictive—within the context of LGBTQ+ identity politics. The project asks, how do heterosexual, cisgender men cherish same-sex affection? And what does this mean for queer collaborators?
Many participants confide their deeply personal stories to Ohrem-Leclef, feeling safe with him as an outsider. Together, they find common ground in their shared search for belonging and community, rooted in Ohrem-Leclef’s own queer, bicultural identity. Sitting together in rooms, open fields, or public parks, many describe the profound “love that flows” from the simple act of holding a friend’s hand. Some are constrained by societal expectations and unable to openly express their desire for same-sex affection, while others, particularly those living fluid lives in traditional settings outside urban areas, feel no need to define their identities.
Zameen preserves the universal human desire to connect through touch. What is seen as “queer” or “traditional” is constantly shifting, shaped by changing norms and perspectives. In the end, Ohrem-Leclef celebrates his collaborators’ creation of spaces for themselves, where labels hold little significance.
About the Author
Marc Ohrem-Leclef (German) is a visual artist based in Brooklyn, NY.
After completing studies in Communication Design at the Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences in Germany, he relocated to New York City in 1998.
Founding a commercial photography studio that serviced the advertising industry for 15 years, a life-changing experience renewed Ohrem-Leclef’s focus on personal long term projects (2012). His collaborative practice moves between documentary and performative modes to construct alternative representations and narratives that address issues of identity and belonging.
A MacDowell Fellow (2018), he teaches at the International Center of Photography (ICP) and lectured at Columbia University, New School, CUNY, School of Visual Arts, SUNY, Pratt Institute, amongst others. Select publications and reviews include Artnews, Artforum, BBC, British Journal of Photography, CityLab, Hyperallergic, Der Spiegel, GUP, Slate, Out.
Ohrem-Leclef’s work has been exhibited in Brazil, Germany, India, Israel, Slovakia. Spain, the Netherlands, UK and US. It is held in the collections of Museo de Arte do Rio (MAR / Rio de Janeiro), and David Dechman, NYC.
Marc Ohrem-Leclef: Zameen Aasman Ka Farq – As Distant as Earth and Sky
September 19 – November 24, 2024
Houston Center for Photography – Houston, Texas – USA
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