Suspended Worlds (Greek: Αιωρούμενοι Κόσμοι) by Eva Berler is created in urban Athens and other cities between 2022 and 2024, focusing on spider webs as fragile, suspended landscapes. Building on a chance encounter with webs on her own balcony, Berler develops these ephemeral structures into a sustained meditation on the hidden dimensions of everyday life. The series aligns with her wider philosophy of seeking "beauty, magic and poetry in the ordinary," turning overlooked details into what she calls "my little mundane world." Against the backdrop of a hyper-connected yet emotionally fragmented society, Suspended Worlds uses the web as an allegory for social isolation, private inner lives, and the quiet resilience of personal imagination.
Visually, the project operates in a world of extreme proximity. Using macro and close-up framing, Berler isolates spider webs from their surroundings so that filaments, knots and trapped debris become intricate terrains. The images are dark, with deep black backgrounds that push the luminous threads forward and shift attention from recognizable settings to line, form, and texture. Within this stripped-down space, the webs suggest floating entities, puppets or fairytale figures, inviting viewers to project their own associations while lingering in a contemplative, sometimes melancholic mood.
Technically speaking, Suspended Worlds relies on modest gear and precise control of light. Berler works with a crop-sensor digital camera, alternating between a macro lens and a standard zoom combined with a close-up filter. The webs are found in shaded urban locations but shot when the sun is bright, so that strong natural light skims the threads while the surroundings fall into shadow. In post-processing, she systematically deepens these shadows until the background becomes absolutely black, creating a cohesive, almost painterly abstraction across the series.
Suspended Worlds received 1st Place in the Wildlife & Nature Professional category at the Sony World Photography Awards 2024, leading to international exhibitions at venues such as Somerset House in London and other cities worldwide. A selection of works has entered The Museum of Avant-garde’s contemporary collection in Switzerland.
