CALLING PHILIPPE / PROVE YOUR LOVE
When I met Philippe, he was staying illegally in Switzerland. He had applied for asylum but been refused. From the very beginning of our relationship, we had a conflict over photography. I thought he was very handsome and had a strong need to photograph him. He, in turn, wanted total control over any pictures taken of him because of his insecure living situation.I travelled a lot during that time. He couldn't go with me as he had no papers. When I traveled, we made video calls. I started taking screenshots of our conversations in secret so I would have some pictures of him. After a few months of relationship we decided to get married so we could have an orderly life together. It was a three year long and complicated process as the authorities did not believe in our love because he was in the country illegally and needed papers. Marrying me would give him a residence and work permit. During the process, we were asked by the Swiss Migration Board to present photo evidence that we were a loving couple. Suddenly, my secretly taken photos had a purpose. The series consists of 900 screenshots taken over two years leading up to our wedding day on 16 September 2020.