Rachel Papo (USA, 1970) was raised in Israel. Almost 15 years after her mandatory military service ended, she went back to several Israeli army bases, using photography as a vehicle to re-enter this world. Serial No. 3817131 represents her effort to come to terms with the experiences of being a soldier, from the perspective of an adult. At an age when social, sexual and educational exploration is at its most intense, the life of an 18-year-old Israeli girl is interrupted. Papo’s military service had been a period of utter loneliness, mixed with apathy and pensiveness, and at the time she was too young to understand it all. Through the camera’s lens, she tries to reconstruct facets of her military life, hoping to reconcile issues that have been left unresolved.

To see more work of Rachel Papo visit her website.