Through creative approaches to social documentary photography, the photographers visualize thoughts and feelings that cannot be put into words. As such, they offer a space to reflect and empathize with those who, despite difficult political, economic, or personal circumstances, remain hopeful and strive for change.

The common thread running through the exhibition is located in the various series that Tavakolian has produced since 2010, such as Listen, Look, and Blank Pages of an Iran Photo album. Her work is shown in dialogue with photographers who, like Tavakolian, share a self-reflective approach to documentary photography. While some photographers regard their camera as a weapon that enables them to react to political phenomena, those featured in this exhibition choose to utilize the lens as a means of sharing personal narratives. The photographers either represent humans touched by trauma, or courageously engage in an introspective investigation of personal conditions. What is common to all these projects is a sense of intimacy, which seeks to engage the viewer in a space of individual and collective vulnerability.

Space to Breathe is about creating a space for people to tell their stories, listen, reflect, and process. In this exhibition, the grandiose architecture of the church serves as a context for artworks and narratives, which in turn, define its function as a space for contemplating fundamental concerns such as life, death, compassion, and hope.