Family Gatherings unfolds within the traditional setting of a photographic studio. The backdrop resembles a staged set, featuring a large-scale landscape painting by Thomas Barker (1769–1847) that depicts an idyllic green countryside. This carefully arranged scene becomes a site for the celebration of identity – a performative moment in which individuals assert their belonging to a family, a society, or a class.

Yet, in the absence of clear visual anchors, the nature of this gathering remains ambiguous. Is this a family poised for a studio portrait? A cohort of robotic mechanoids awaiting their grand unveiling? A fading royal assembly at the twilight of their reign? Exemplary human taxidermies displayed in a Natural History Museum? Or perhaps an unearthly reunion of ghosts?

Though the presence of familiar, living beings is strongly felt, it remains elusive, never fully confirmed. The folds of fabric, the postures of the figures, their subtle interactions, and their arrangement within the composition all hint at the gathering’s nature, yet never fully disclose it.