‘The Anarchist Citizenship. Ode to Youthful Daredevils’ is a project by the researcher Amal Alhaag (1983) and the socially committed artist Nadine Stijns (1977) about the people of Somaliland. Since 1991, this territory in northwest Somalia has been operating as a self-declared independent state. In ‘The Anarchist Citizenship’, the duo researches how the Somalilanders are giving shape to their citizenship through fashion, architecture, friendship and culture. In collaboration with the depicted women, young people and other locals – often acting as art directors – Stijns and Alhaag manage to capture the unique visual culture of the Somalilanders in their photographs. Shown on silk fabric and plexiglass, the dozens of colourful photographs present an image that is much more nuanced and varied than dominant western views would suggest.
