Hipsters in New York, punk musicians in China, the mod scene in the UK, rockabillies in Sweden or cosplayers in Japan, portrayed against the backdrop of their chosen habitat, all have in common that they claim authorship over their own (group) identity. The participants in these subcultures create their own stage, and then occupy that space with all the finesse of an actor performing a character study. They become their role for as long as is needed, which includes offering themselves up completely to the gaze of the camera.

At the same time, one may question whether it is not an illusion of freedom that is created, one that does not hold up beyond the confines of the stage set, and can be brutally shattered when the characters wander off stage and reappear in ‘real’ life. But however fleeting, they still make a bid for freedom, to be carefree from the limited autonomy permitted by their respective social and economical conditions.