Abas - the watch out boy

med - Captain of the boys

Ali

Mohammed the translator

Omar

Osman - the friendly pirate

The ‘Real’ Somali Pirates

Jan Hoek, became infatuated with a small group of men in Nairobi, who pretended to be pirates, even though they had never seen the ocean. During the peak of Somalian hijack in 2010, Western journalists often travelled to the capital of Kenya instead to interview ex-pirates. It was a much safer way than going to Somalia, where they were prone to be hijacked themselves. Some local guys figured this out and decided to make a living out of fooling the Western media.

Previously shown at...

Installation pics

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The real Somali Pirates - Stedelijk Museum Schiedam (Schiedam)

The real Somali Pirates - Stedelijk Museum Schiedam (Schiedam)