The Quiet Rise

The Quiet Rise examines the growing visibility of neo-Nazi and far-right extremist groups in Germany. Photographed between 2024 and 2025, the project follows these networks across demonstrations, marches, meetings, and private gatherings. It documents how extremist ideology has moved beyond the margins and is now openly performed through symbols, language, clothing, and coordinated public actions. The work extends beyond public events into smaller, controlled environments, including face-to-face meetings and direct interactions with individuals inside these networks. Access was gained through open observation as well as undercover reporting when necessary. These encounters reveal a clear shift: participants are increasingly confident, no longer hiding their identities or beliefs, while their narratives circulate both publicly and within closed circles. Positioned within a wider political climate in which right-wing movements are gaining traction across Europe and the United States, the project reflects how similar dynamics are unfolding in Germany. Within this context, the individuals portrayed are not only visible but actively seeking to reclaim influence and re-establish ideological presence in public life. Driven by both personal and journalistic motivations, the work draws from the photographer’s experience as a queer refugee from Iran. It investigates how extremist movements organize, communicate, and normalize themselves within contemporary German society.