Looks that Clash, Then Clash Some More
Colorful though it is, 'Anónimo' is a series of photos by New York duo Floto + Warner aimed at raising awareness of the Normalista student kidnappings in Mexico. The Normal Schools are part of a network of teacher colleges providing free education to the rural poor, but which have recently seen a decline as government education reforms are driving up tuition. Normalistas are students protesting these attempts to privatize education.
Tensions came to a head in 2014, when teaching students on their way to a Normalista protest near Mexico City were intercepted by police forces. In the ensuing clash, six students were killed and 43 more were apprehended and subsequently disappeared. It's believed they were murdered by a local gang after police handed them over. The demand to punish those responsible has broadened into nationwide outrage over corruption that enriches the political class while poverty persists for the masses.
In these photos, Floto + Warner outfitted real Normalistas in exaggerated versions of the household items they use to protest in, standing out while remaining anonymous.