La manière noire, générale et absolue, 2021

Photograph, copper plate engraved using the mezzotint technique, Midi Libre newspaper article

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200 cm × 85 cm, 10 cm × 7.4 cm

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This work, La manière noire, générale et absolue, reflects the administrative precarity that I have personally experienced. As a foreigner, I need a residence permit in order to remain in France. This permit is naturally granted to nationals, who possess a “general and absolute right” to stay in France. Foreigners, however, must obtain it through a long and arduous process.

The photograph was taken by myself when I witnessed the suicidal intent of an undocumented man who remained standing on the Aqueduct of Arceaux in Montpellier, threatening to jump. The copper plate engraved using the mezzotint technique represents his intense despair in the face of his need for a residence permit. Through this work, I hope to raise awareness among diverse audiences and foster a better understanding of migrants who become physically and mentally ill simply because of the renewal of their administrative documents.