I Press the Button

The photo series I Press the Button offers a glimpse into a cinema located in the frontier zone between Italy and Switzerland. Shaped by the geographical and political tensions of this border region, this cinema has become a space of escape and refuge for its visitors, as well as a site of transgression and clandestine, (un)easy encounters—showcasing pornographic films for both heterosexual and homosexual audiences.
The project evolved from an observational perspective from the outside to a conversation with the cinema’s owner, revealing an intersection between personal experiences and the broader cultural, economical and political contexts. The resulting photo series serves as an intimate yet provocative visual response, reflecting on themes of desire, ambivalence, and transgression, while engaging with phenomena such as repression and lust, public identity and private excitement.