Rear Window

“Nigar is 34 years old, married and with three children. She came to Austria from Turkey when she was seven. When she finished school she wanted to train as a hairdresser, but her mother was against it – she would be touching the hair of other men. Nowadays Nigar regrets not having learned any trade. Her husband is mentally ill and her world is literally falling apart around her. She wants her children to get a good education. All the women in the family want their daughters to be self-reliant and independent.

I met Nigar in the Straubing district in Wels, where I was taking photos on assignment for the city’s gallery. She is a very impressive young woman. With her help the doors to other families opened up and I was welcomed as a photographer.

The Straubing district in Wels has a very high portion of immigrants who are confronted with the political instrumentation of right-wing populist parties. In recent years there have been no positive reports in the media. Criminality, violence, ghetto and Islam are the most frequently used catchwords. The increasing prejudice against the Muslim population in the neighbourhood is palpable.”