Morteza Herati, Zahra Khodadadi and Naseer Turkmani are all photographers and have been living in France since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in August 2021. The exhibition of some twenty pictures presents recollections of their country and prospects for its existence beyond geographical borders. Since 2010, all three artists have been making their individual contribution to the emerging art scene in their country.

In France, they have been artists-in-residence in Nice at La Villa Arson, in Arles at the École nationale supérieure de la photographie d'Arles (ENSP), and in Paris at the Ateliers Varan. They have continued working, creating new pictures that tell the story of being separated from family and friends and from their homeland.

In their haste to leave, they had no time to say “goodbye.” They were certainly not prepared for such a parting. Khoda Hafez, “goodbye” in Dari, has the artists expressing both the sorrow of loss and a glimmer of hope.