Fence in the Sky: Notes from Lager
2025-ongoing
is a photographic monograph on dacha life in Mongolia. Once a seasonal escape inherited from Soviet tradition, the summer house, or “lager” as we call it, has become a sought-after year-round refuge from Ulaanbaatar's air pollution and urban congestion for many living with young children and elders.
But the choice doesn’t come easy for many. From lack of central heating, plumbing and running water to environmental, infrastructural and social isolation, living at lager year-round comes with its own set of often expensive challenges. And that's for those lucky enough to have a choice at all. Much like purchasing a home, owning a summer house, with its clean air and open field, remains a distant dream for many young Mongolians living in Ulaanbaatar.
Drawn largely from my own three years living there after my son was born, the photographs and selection of writings look at how people choose and sacrifice under constraint, and what it means when clean air becomes a privilege.
But the choice doesn’t come easy for many. From lack of central heating, plumbing and running water to environmental, infrastructural and social isolation, living at lager year-round comes with its own set of often expensive challenges. And that's for those lucky enough to have a choice at all. Much like purchasing a home, owning a summer house, with its clean air and open field, remains a distant dream for many young Mongolians living in Ulaanbaatar.
Drawn largely from my own three years living there after my son was born, the photographs and selection of writings look at how people choose and sacrifice under constraint, and what it means when clean air becomes a privilege.