The Spring Collection is a series of photographic self-portraits restaging the DIY helmets worn by protesters in Cairo during the Arab Spring revolution, in Ukraine, Turkey, and other nations that were undergoing radical political shifts during the previous five years. The project is a commentary on the activism in social media, where the images of these helmets became globally recognized through their ad-hoc reference to the objects of common life—a form of life that was becoming increasingly precarious. For a time, these symbols effectively created solidarity and mobilized global participation; though, ironically, these objects were quickly appropriated by the global fashion system, with its wealthy clientele, thus reversing the message.
Concept and design: Azra Akšamija
Production: Karina Silvester (costume assistance and photography)
Materials: 24 photographs
Dimensions: variable