The Presence of Absence is a decade-long documentary body of work that reveals the many layers of trauma, loss, grief, mourning, and healing, in the aftermath of war.

Inbal Abergil weaves stories of the Gold Star Families whose relatives were killed in action, together with still lifes of the loved one’s personal effects, and portraits of the Casualty Notification Officers who deliver the horrific news to the families of loved ones killed in military service. The still lifes reveal the survivors’s methods of coping with death, and how an object can contain the presence of a loved one, reminding us how painful and comforting it can be at the same time. The portraits urge us to look at what no family member wants to meet at their front door, and yet the notifiers knock on the door, knowing that everyone involved will be scarred for life; each time, they hope to remember their script and make no mistakes so that healing will be possible.

While every loss is unique, the Four-channel video brings our attention to four Gold Star Mothers who lost their sons and discuss how to continue living after the war. They offer guidelines for dealing with loss and how to approach others who might be struggling with grief. The photographs, personal stories, and videos in The Presence of Absence invite us to reflect on the poignant story of a community of survivors who keep the memories alive as they strive to rebuild their lives in the aftermath of loss, and invite us to create a platform for reflection and discussion of the human price of conflict.