Distance creates fear, and fear leads to hate!

I grew up with a mentally ill brother, and her passion is photography.In this personal portrait series of mentally ill people from a residential facility in Grafeneck, Ideal with my own experiences that have accompanied and shaped me throughout my life to thisday and raises questions.

I stage the three protagonists as ‚fashion icons‘ and thereby challenges my own perception,that of the protagonists, and the viewer:What happens when the so-called negative deviation from ‚normality and normativity‘ is turnedinto its opposite?

Grafeneck is known as a memorial site for the beginning of the industrial and institutionalisedmurder of ‚unworthy life‘ during the Nazi era. The one-sided, one-dimensional, unreflected, andinhumane perception of deviations from ‚normality and normativity‘ and the resulting cruelevaluation of this life led to an incomparable catastrophe at that time.

The protagonists‘ diagnoses according to ICD code:
F70.0 Mild intellectual disability: No or minor behavioural disorder
F10.2 Mental and behavioural disorder due to alcohol: Dependence syndrome
F33.1 Recurrent depressive disorder, currently moderate episode
F20.0 Paranoid schizophrenia
F70.1 Mild intellectual disability: Significant behavioural disturbance requiring observation or treatment„recurrent depressive disorder“

All three protagonists spoke positively and emotionally about the experience for days after the shoot.Thomas has hoped to become famous through the exhibition ever since.The shoot has given Martina a different body image and a little more self-esteem. She currently wants to ‚optimize‘ her appearance to feel even more comfortable in her body.Wilhelm is proud that he dared to do it and overcome his fears.

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