I came as a stranger

I document the incoming refugees in Salzkammergut (Austria) in the moment when they still live in refugee camps, with no residence permit or status, without knowledge of what will happen to them. When they have a long way behind, but also ahead of, them. In the moment of very strong emotions: the hope of being accepted, the fear of not being accepted, and the discovery of the 'new world', but also the longing for home. The work process originated from joint trips and excursions to the natural sceneries that we remember from European painting of the 19th century (Romanticism). I have worked on the tension-filled relationship between the perception of the viewer and the protagonist of the picture in the series.

Photos by Ekaterina Sevrouk