Best Friends  2018/2015/2014/2013/2012

(Ongoing Series)

Photographs of good friends – what we notice is how they are connected: body language, a shared smile, an intimate touch. In the photographs, Nevin Aladağ took of best friends, the friendship is also underlines by a very similar style in clothes. In line with current fashion trends, but especially outside of them, a specific shared dress code emerges that confirms the identity of the friendship, indeed creates it. The styles don’t go well together, but rather, we see complex processes of imitation that symbolize – whether consciously or unconsciously – an identification with one another. Between the desire for individuality and the yearning for companionship and belonging, the pairs and groups of friends negotiate their own shared identity. This is particularly pronounced with teenagers, but it can be observed with all ages and in all social strata. With her “fieldwork” on individual and collective identity formation, Nevin Aladağ creates a portrait of a city – a documentary on best friends and the signalling power of external attributes. Affection produces (also collective) identity and strength.