THIS IS NO FANTASY presents Like Rain on a Mountain (the Poetics of Time), a solo exhibition by Ellen Dahl exploring time, place, and the entanglement of human and more-than-human histories. Moving between Hellenic-inspired Roman sculptures, ancient caves, and ecological still lives, Dahl brings together subjects shaped by vastly different temporal scales.

Working with low light and extended exposure, she destabilises photography’s promise to freeze a moment. Surfaces soften, colours shift, and duration becomes visible within the image. Classical forms are refigured as vulnerable bodies subject to decay and reinterpretation, while caves and collected objects mediate between geological immensity and lived presence.

Originally from Arctic Norway and now based on Gadigal Country (Sydney), Dahl works across photography, video, sound, and installation. She was the 2024 winner of the MAMA National Photography Prize and holds a PhD from the University of Tasmania.