The uncertainty of what we love
(ongoing project)
A project born from self-observation, The Uncertainty of What We Love explores the weight of self-imposed expectations. Created by photographer Paz Vallejo, this collection consists of images that were never meant to exist. Emerging from the need to reevaluate what was once deemed unworthy or unsuccessful, it embraces mistakes—naturally born with the sole purpose of existing—as the final product the artist had been seeking all along.
At a pivotal moment, Vallejo experienced the heartbreak of seeing her efforts seemingly collapse before her eyes. The disbelief that, despite all the energy poured into a process, it could fail so profoundly. The pain was consuming. Yet, with time and distance, she began to see her mistakes differently—not as failures, but as beautiful markers of trust in the process itself.
These mistakes act as small parentheses within the noise of thought, highlighting the uniqueness of an artist’s journey. When they first emerged, they evoked frustration, resentment, and disappointment, leading Vallejo to archive and abandon them. Years later, she now sees them as one of the most profound elements of her most important ongoing work: the archive of her life. These mistakes may speak volumes—or nothing at all. The viewer need only be open to observing them and immersing themselves in their quiet truths.
The uncertainty of what we love has led the artist to recognize that mistakes are not only inevitable but essential and beautiful.
Comprising over 30 images, each piece is an analog photographic error—whether from the beginning or the end of the development process.
Intended as a meditative space, this project invites viewers to pause, offering them a moment of reflection—a parenthesis in space and time.