In October 2021, the photographer, Chantal Seitz, sent a letter to her partner's brother, Collin Davis, who has been incarcerated in California for the last 17 years. By asking him the simple question, "What do you want to see?", she began an ongoing dialogue. The correspondence centers on Collin's requests and the photographs Chantal has sent in response. Putting him indirectly behind the camera is not only an artistic and journalistic approach to a family member's story, it is also an attempt to break down the separation between prison and the outside world. This exchange between a photographer and an incarcerated person reveals how the penal system determines who is allowed to see what and how they are allowed to see it. At the same time, it is a means of giving Collin back some of the power that has been taken from him.

Photobook

DISTANZ, 2024 
Dialogue between Chantal Seitz & Collin Davis
Photography & Concept: Chantal Seitz
Design: Luisa Wörmann & Chantal Seitz
Text: Everett Babcock

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Shortlisted for the Dummy Award 2023
Featured in ZEITmagazin and ZEIT Verbrechen