The AES Group caused a sensation during Noorderlicht 2001 with their manipulated photographs of Western cities under Islamic domination. The series received a sour topicality with the attack on the World Trade Center that took place during the exhibition.

The latest project from AES also mixes fantasy and reality. In Action Half Life young photo models play the roles of heroines in a futuristic-looking war. The images refer to both computer games and the illusion of a 'clean war'.