Statement:

In 2014, Arash Fayez was approached by plainclothes officers from the US Immigration Enforcement agency outside his home in San Francisco.

Having overstayed his student visa, Arash was soon arrested. Three years later, with his immigration status still unresolved, he left the US for London. When he landed at Gatwick Airport, the 312-page dossier from his immigration lawyer awaited in his inbox.

The work in this exhibition juxtaposes official records with photographs from the same period, creating a layered narrative that reveals contrasting perspectives.

One tracks the complicated administrative procedure with its endless repetitions and throwbacks. At the same time, the other depicts the everyday life of someone living in-between, quotidian moments captured while awaiting a decision or a resolution, stuck in a pile of documents.

The title Apolis comes from the Ancient Greek word ápolis, meaning “without city, state, or country.”

The project stemmed from a conversation between Arash Fayez and his immigration lawyer, whose succinct explanation of his legal status encapsulated the situation’s complexity: “You are not illegal, but you are not legal either.”