Sam Youkilis - Somewhere 2017-2023

Sam Youkilis has spent the past six years compiling a continuous archive of photographic works using his phone. His intuitive approach results in short, immersive videos that capture universal themes of human experience, employing the casual language of the camera phone to convey something profound, anthropological, comprehensive, and yet inherently incomplete. Youkilis's work emanates from a particular attitude towards experiencing the world, imbuing his images with a depth that surpasses the ease with which they circulate.

In Youkilis's debut publication, the depth of his engagement with human behavioral patterns is meticulously documented and scattered across a diverse range of themes. These themes are divided into chapters that playfully explore the tensions between categorization and happenstance, which are integral to his observational works. Comprised exclusively of video stills, "Somewhere" scours Youkilis's database for images capturing various elements such as specific times of the day7:07 AM, 12:33 PMunmade beds, acts of cutting, thresholds, dancing couples, and gestures of romance.

Presented as a dense 500-page sequence, "Somewhere" activates the archive and typology as sources of human joy and communion, while simultaneously empowering his subjects and unlocking the profound essence of different locations worldwide. Youkilis embraces reality by engaging with both ephemerality and sincerity, all while maintaining a deep reverence for the photographic medium through meticulous attention to composition, color, chiaroscuro, and framing.

Sam Youkilis (b. 1993, New York) is a documentary photographer and filmmaker currently based in Italy.