Mehdi Bahmed
Refugee integration, terror attacks and the rise of right-wing populism in Europe are subjects that delineate the fields of concern of this photo series. Here, I am especially concerned with the schism of the “Western” and the “Arab world”. This theme is closely connected to my own biography. My mother is French, my father comes from Algeria.
With my photographs I would like to raise questions without providing explicit answers nor taking sides. My photographs aim to create an alternative space for encounter, reflection and dialogue. In this project, I am particularly interested in the inner world of the protagonists. By this means, I want to provide insight into their world by focusing on their individual stories.
My photographs are all staged, which consequently, enables me to create more distance and to reflect on the topics more intensely. This way, I can create a kind of fictitious space that stimulates the observer in a different way than documentary photographs do.
Further work by Mehdi Bahmed can be found on: www.cphotographyberlin.com