“Absent Presence” (ongoing)

When Phones Replace Human Presence

Copywriting & Storytelling     Yana Northen

about this project

This project looks at how phones have become a constant companion, often closer than the people beside us. It reflects on modern intimacy and the quiet distance created by screens.

“Absent Presence” is a visual reflection on how phones have become an extension of our bodies and attention. We wake up with them, fall asleep with them, and often turn to the screen even when someone we love is right beside us. Through staged domestic scenes, the series captures the quiet distance that grows when digital presence becomes stronger than human presence.