‘You Need a Crisis Before the World Starts Listening To You’
Welcome to De Facto’s new interview series, in which we interview scientists, artists and journalists about contested borders. We kick off with political scientist Ramesh Ganohariti, who has recently co-authored a book on sub-state recognition. ‘States have become more emboldened to throw the international playbook out of the window.’
Jorie Horsthuis | 11 Mar 2026
Filmfestival Vlieland
On Februari 20-22, De Facto teamed up with writer Adwin de Kluyver and Podium Vlieland - the cutest cinema on the Wadden island of Vlieland - to organise an Off the Map film festival. People travelled from all over the Netherlands and even from Berlin to be with us on the island for three days.
Suzanne Hendriks | 25 Feb 2026
The Other Side of the Border
What happens when the border between Turkey and Armenia will finally open? Drawing on personal experience with transformations in the South Caucasus, Olesya Vartanyan explores how decisions made in one corner of this region impact all who live there.
Olesya Vartanyan | 20 Feb 2026
Left Out In the Cold
For decades, the separatist Moldovan region of Transnistria has been able to count on practically free gas from Russia. When that changed last year, the impact on the lives of the local community was immense. What are the prospects for this self-declared republic? “We constantly talk about the coming winter.”
Max Smedes | 8 Dec 2025
Vlieland filmfestival
Who is going on a trip with us? Off the Map is teaming up with Podium Vlieland, the cutest filmtheater on the island Vlieland, in the north of the Netherlands to organize a film-weekend on February 20-22, 2026. Through films, we will travel to unrecognized countries, micronations, disputed border areas, and other geographical oddities. And beyond the news and geopolitics, we explore wondrous places and captivating human stories.
De Facto | 3 Dec 2025
Off the Map at AINSI, Maastricht
De Facto was never closer to the Dutch border as at theater AINSI, Maastricht. With a mini-lecture by border professor Henk van Houtum, dance by Limburg performers Zoë Greten and Bo Jacobs. And: journalist Jorie Horsthuis about Nagorno-Karabakh, graphic designer Floor Koomen about fake islands in the South-China Sea and researcher Suzanne Hendriks with an exhilarating quiz.
Suzanne Hendriks | 24 Nov 2025
Struggles on Stamps - Jammu & Kashmir
Struggles about states are usually accompanied by discussions, diplomatic rows, border issues, threats and sometimes even full-blown wars. But if you take the time to zoom in, you will find that these struggles also tend to unfold on tiny pieces of paper – stamps, the smallest expression of self determination. And sometimes, these tiny stamps seem to foreshadow larger conflicts.
Jan Heijs | 17 Jul 2025
Globalicious
Get lost in a lovely in Around the world in 200 Globes, a new publication of Luster by Willem Jan Neutelings. This book is a world in itself, with each highlighted globe telling its own story, whether it’s about trends, materials, political borders and scientific frontiers in the 20th century. A must for our readership.
Suzanne Hendriks | 24 May 2025