Russian Roulette
Speed dating Gastarbeider Style
Beautiful Russian ladies couldn't wait to meet you.
It was a great party with DJ Goldfinger and the Moscow Disco and ten Russian women from Amsterdam to date with.
-
Russian brides at Mediamatic -
At Russian Roulette
During this evening 10 beautiful Russian women sat behind a long table, and had the luxury of some champagne to sip.
All participants were given the opportunity to pick any lady they wanted, and very soon after the start of the evening there was a huge line of men anticipating the virtues of speed dating.
After a short while the ladies themselves were given the choice to hold up the stop sign, which meant that the men would have to leave and find another pretty Russian woman.
With pick up lines like: "so what kind of beer do you like" and some good old fashioned cards playing we came to the conclusion that some men, not all, needed to step up their dating skills. Hence, later on in the evening there was a fantastic after party with dj Goldfinger!
Vodka & Girls
In the 1990's, Russia's best-selling export products were vodka and girls.
Major economic and political disasters of the so-called transition period, low life expectancy among men and change of roles in the society made a lot Russian women search for a better life abroad. International marriage and job agencies functioned like Internet shops, selling women just as easy as cars or beautiful pieces of furniture. Those were wild years, marked by commodification of people and relationships, fear of mafia, and ghosts of the cold war. In the Western eyes, the Russian woman’s identity became reduced to that of a sex toy, a household slave, or a criminal adventurer.
The legacy of this turbulent period in history still manifests itself in the ambiguous attitude towards Russian women in the so-called West. She is known as a beautiful, sexy girlfriend and a caring, non-demanding wife: the ideal every man would dream about. However, there is always something infernal about the Russian girl. She knows how to use the charms she possesses to get what she wants. She would break a poor Dutch man’s heart, take his money and soul and leave him with nothing after getting her staying permit.
All these stereotypes create a problem of self-representation for Russian women living abroad. They are often seen either as housewives- an extension to their Dutch partners, or as entertainers who add spice to the boredom of everyday life with their eccentric behaviour. Many women who want to be perceived as professionals prefer not to advertise themselves as Russian, in order to be taken seriously.
This project explored the ambiguities of this position and exploits the existing stereotypes to the full extent.
Video report of the evening
Contributions
KatjaComments (9)
Comments (9)
Willem
maria
Jans
Tanja
Olga
Kevin
Mels
Inge
Donna
Krystian
Sometimes...
stereotypes could be the starting of a conversation process, not just a closure. A way of exploring, and a shared one, because you have the two extremes of the conversation. The one who believes and the one who wants to telling you the truth about the subject. Moving and exploring the many way to develop this former extremely formalized situation, perhaps you could work out many different and unexpected outcomes...perhaps and is not guranteed. That's the extraordinary meaning of an encounter. Tourism works in the same way. You need a cliche, (although a very personal and cared one) to start a journey. Then the journey will think about you and your cliches....
I made an experiment on flickr, some months ago using images of russian women as iconic targets for the western mind. Take a look if you want, The trick is quite easy. The texts are taken from robot written or translators agencies letters developed in the scamming industry.
www.flickr.com/photos/altomodernista/
Anyway, I would love to be at this venue! Very nice project. Congrats!
Sometimes...
stereotypes could be the starting of a conversation process, not just a closure. A way of exploring, and a shared one, because you have the two extremes of the conversation. The one who believes and the one who wants to telling you the truth about the subject. Moving and exploring the many way to develop this former extremely formalized situation, perhaps you could work out many different and unexpected outcomes...perhaps and is not guranteed. That's the extraordinary meaning of an encounter. Tourism works in the same way. You need a cliche, (although a very personal and cared one) to start a journey. Then the journey will think about you and your cliches....
I made an experiment on flickr, some months ago using images of russian women as iconic targets for the western mind. Take a look if you want, The trick is quite easy. The texts are taken from robot written or translators agencies letters developed in the scamming industry.
I would love to be at this venue! Very good idea.
what's attractive in the east?....
Eastern people are attracted to West in most of the cases because of money. I though, this is absolutely clear!
I meant, Rene, that love to a local woman is the only thing that could attract a man from a well-being country to stay for a longer period in such a country as Moldova is - with all its difficulties..
The "history and the digestion of history in that country" you could enjoy as well from distance, but never a woman :))
By the way -
here are arguments:
www.fotofo.sk/imago/17/sluik.htm
Yes I'm sure.
If you could ever been there you would understand - thats only possible be attracted with.. Not because women there are special (just like everywhere), but because THERE ARE NO MONEY!
Ron
are you sure Ron was attracted by Russian woman?
exactly
i meet a lot of foreigners in russia every time i go back there: businessmen, artists, freaks...
they are looking for things this part of the world is too rational for.
and who told you rene that we are not looking for artists? at least with an artist you can have an interesting life.
come to see film "nederlands voor beginners" this sunday at 5, you'll see what a nightmare it can be to date a handsome suit with a company car;)
yes of course
i guess for you it might be even worse, because you are in this EU situation now, where "all animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others"
russian, ukrainian, slovakian, polish, etc.
i think the problem is more compelx. and this stereotype not only concerns women from russia but also from all other (so called) easter european countries.
guess how do i know that? ;-)