photoSCHWEIZ 2026

Invited as a Special Exhibitor at photoSCHWEIZ 2026, I created a photographic series for photoDUELL—a curated format in which two photographers interpret the same individual through their own distinct visual language.

For this project, I photographed Swiss actor Joel Basman, who embodied the character Sonja for the theatre production Sonja – ein Junkieleben. Created along Zurich's Langstrasse, the series unfolds in the space where documentary and staged imagery converge. The urban landscape became a stage, while light and architecture emerged as quiet protagonists.

The series was presented as part of the photoSCHWEIZ 2026 special exhibition at the Kongresshaus Zürich.

One of the portraits from the series was selected by Joel Basman and director Michael Steiner as the official key visual for Sonja – ein Junkieleben. Serving as the central image of the production's visual campaign, the photograph became the official theatre poster and was featured across a wide range of national media, cultural institutions, and promotional platforms, including Neue Zürcher Zeitung (NZZ), SRF, Tages-Anzeiger, Der Bund, St. Galler Tagblatt, Schaffhauser Nachrichten, Bote der Urschweiz, Freiburger Nachrichten, Tsüri, Blick, Switzerland Tourism, Graubünden Ferien, Kaufleuten Zürich, Klibühni Chur, Soussoul Bern, See Tickets, Starticket, and Eventfrog.