--- title: Viral Immigrant Instagram Account Was a Fake description: "We were shocked to see it published," Spanish producer behind "Abdou Diouf" account tells TIME canonical: https://time.com/3982506/immigrant-instagram-migrant-journey-abdou-diouf/ author: Olivier Laurent article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-08-03T18:46:52.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-05-11T04:40:10.029Z article:section: World og:title: Creators of Fake Instagram Account Showing a Migrant's Journey Speak Out og:description: Posts were created to promote a photography festival og:url: https://time.com/3982506/immigrant-instagram-migrant-journey-abdou-diouf/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltd57bea221700cab5/69885d9dcd1bba633e6fc912/abdou-diouf-instagram-migrant-4.jpg?branch=production&width=1440&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: Abdou Diouf Instagram Migrant og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Creators of Fake Instagram Account Showing a Migrant's Journey Speak Out twitter:description: Posts were created to promote a photography festival twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltd57bea221700cab5/69885d9dcd1bba633e6fc912/abdou-diouf-instagram-migrant-4.jpg?branch=production&width=1440&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Creators of Fake Instagram Account Showing a Migrant's Journey Speak Out by [Olivier Laurent](/author/olivier-laurent/) ## Olivier Laurent Aug 3, 2015 6:46 PM CUT  Running to the future. We aré in morroco. The dream is closer. No looking back. #running #justdoit #trackrunning #speed #stronger #nopainnogain # noexcuses motivation #instalike # instapic #sport #runtoinspire #runforfuture #determination #effort #warrior #ultra #burn Running to the future. We aré in morroco. The dream is closer. No looking back. #running #justdoit #trackrunning #speed #stronger #nopainnogain # noexcuses motivation #instalike # instapic #sport #runtoinspire #runforfuture #determination #effort #warrior #ultra #burnAbdoudiouf1993 by [Olivier Laurent](/author/olivier-laurent/) ## Olivier Laurent Aug 3, 2015 6:46 PM CUT An [Instagram](https://instagram.com/abdoudiouf1993/ "undefined") account that purported to show the tribulations of a Senegalese migrant embarking on an illegal journey to Spain turned out to be a campaign set-up to promote a photography festival. Launched a week ago, the account claimed to show how “Abdou Diouf” left his native Dakar in Senegal to find a better life in Europe. The pictures – all self-portraits – showed Diouf at various stages of his “trip”. In one image, he’s seen embarking on a small floating device, while another showed him reach Spanish shores. The account went viral this weekend after the [Huffington _Post_](http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2015/08/02/migrant-instagram-journey-boat%5Fn%5F7921536.html "undefined") wrote about Diouf’s journey. However, as international attention turned to Diouf’s mysterious postings and his use of popular, yet unrelated hashtags, the account was revealed as [fake](http://www.disphotic.com/publish-and-be-insta-damned-on-the-instagram-migrant/ "undefined"). “It’s a campaign for an international festival of photography in Getxo in Spain” Oriol Caba of [Volga](http://www.volga-volga.eu/ "undefined"), a Spanish production company, tells TIME. The [Getxophoto](http://www.getxophoto.com/ "undefined") festival hired Volga and the Barcelona studio Manson to produce a series of videos and images that would promote the event as well as raise questions about the use of photography in today’s society. “In developed countries, there’s a use of the self-image that is not common to other parts of the globe,” says Caba. “\[We wanted\] to show how the banality of the treatment of the self-image could be used to produce an image of the self but in a very different context, like the dangerous and traumatic trips people embark on to get a better life. We thought it was strong and powerful enough to make a statement and to raise questions.” The fake account was also a way for the festival’s organizers to show how the “narration of reality is always in the hands of people with power, not in the hands of people living that reality,” says Caba. But all involved say they never expected the account to garner such international attention. “We were shocked to see it published on the Huffington Post and to see other media organizations follow it up,” Caba tells TIME. “We never thought about this question on the power of the \[fourth estate\]. I think that the necessity of selling, having hits and being the first to publish is lowering the standards of news.” The end result, the festival said in a statement, offers “a reflection on the way we process and share images of displacement and migration in established media and on social networks.” Now, the festival is ready for the potential backlash. “It won’t be surprising to us if we’re accused of trivializing this issue,” says Caba. “But we can see it every day already in the passivity of the people and governments who \[are confronted\] to the issue of immigration in every European city. “We are very respectful of these people going through such unbelievable struggles,” he adds. **_Marisa Schwartz_**_, who edited this photo essay, is an Associate Photo Editor at_ [_TIME.com_](http://www.time.com "undefined")_. Follow her on_ [_Instagram_](http://www.instagram.com/marisa%5Fschwartz "undefined") _and_ [_twitter_](http://www.twitter.com/marisarschwartz "undefined")_._ **_Olivier Laurent_** _is the editor of TIME LightBox. Follow him on_ [_Twitter_](http://twitter.com/olivierclaurent "undefined") _and_ [_Instagram_](http://instagram.com/olivierclaurent "undefined") _@olivierclaurent_  The superbike for the first stage. I don't know what will waiting for. Problems tears and cold but now im positive my friend hagi take me to nouadhibou. #ontheroad#travelgram#jujuy#nicetime#discover#explore#instagood#instadaily#exploremore#backpackers#adventure Abdoudiouf1993  Two days walking. The guide Says we cant stop. Or we will lose two Thousands euros i pay for the boat to cross. #backpacking#nature#hiking#friends#instamood#instafollow#bored#instagood #instadaily #travelgram #tired #instagramers Abdoudiouf1993  Hiden in the back of a trunk. Tryng to cross the border. No air. My legs Hurt. Wish me luck. #trunk #nospace #fear #thirsty #hide #borders #instadaily #instafollow # neverendingtryp #daydreamer Abdoudiouf1993  Running to the future. We aré in morroco. The dream is closer. No looking back. #running #justdoit #trackrunning #speed #stronger #nopainnogain # noexcuses motivation #instalike # instapic #sport #runtoinspire #runforfuture #determination #effort #warrior #ultra #burn Abdoudiouf1993  Finally the land os oportunities. We tired but happy. Very danger trip. #happy #bigday #nopainnogain #smail #celebration #brothers #instagood i#instalike #instamood #instadaily #lovinglife #alwaysfinddaway #positivity #timetoshine #walkyourtruepath #beyourbestself #unfprgetable #instagramers #photooftheday #photochallenge #beautiful #follow #feelgoodphoto #instalovers #excited Abdoudiouf1993  The police wellcome close to the beach, they aré not friends of ilegal dreamers. #acab #swat #coexist #ilegaldreamer #photooftheday #photochallenge #instadaily Abdoudiouf1993  Thermal blankets before going to the center of internment. They call it cie. Not a good place to stay. #gold #fashion #instadaily #painnogain #thisiseurope #europe #nodreamineurope #instamood #photooftheday #photochallenge #getxophoto #picoftheday #nature #friends Abdoudiouf1993 ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3982506/immigrant-instagram-migrant-journey-abdou-diouf/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3982506/immigrant-instagram-migrant-journey-abdou-diouf/"},"headline":"Creators of Fake Instagram Account Showing a Migrant's Journey Speak Out","datePublished":"2015-08-03T18:46:52.000Z","dateModified":"2026-05-11T04:40:10.029Z","description":"\"We were shocked to see it published,\" Spanish producer behind \"Abdou Diouf\" account tells TIME","url":"https://time.com/3982506/immigrant-instagram-migrant-journey-abdou-diouf/","keywords":["LightBox","viral","Immigration","photography","Instagram","Festival","Behind the Photos"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltd57bea221700cab5/69885d9dcd1bba633e6fc912/abdou-diouf-instagram-migrant-4.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Olivier Laurent","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/olivier-laurent/"}],"articleSection":"World","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltd57bea221700cab5/69885d9dcd1bba633e6fc912/abdou-diouf-instagram-migrant-4.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Abdou Diouf Instagram Migrant","caption":"Abdou Diouf Instagram Migrant","creditText":"Abdoudiouf1993","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/world/","name":"World"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/time-section-lightbox/","name":"LightBox"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3982506/immigrant-instagram-migrant-journey-abdou-diouf/","name":"Creators of Fake Instagram Account Showing a Migrant's Journey Speak Out"}}]}] ```