Dana Popa is a Romanian born photographer who deals with issues relating to human-rights. Not Natasha is a documentary project depicting the experiences of those affected by sex-trafficking, specifically from the Eastern European country, Moldova. ‘Natasha’ is the nickname given to prostitutes with Eastern-European looks.
Two Little Girls (Dir: Peter Baynton), is an animated film accompanying the exhibition that tells the story of two friends that were sold to prostitution abroad.
This exhibition asks the viewer to consider the circumstances that lead to women being sex-trafficked, the experiences of the women during their ordeal, the impact it has on those left behind and the aftermath, once the women are no longer working against their will. Popa achieves this through the display of three different styles of image: portraits of the women who were trafficked, photographs of family members and the homes left behind, and photographs from working brothels in London,
The portraits of the women and girls that have escaped were taken in their home country but not necessarily their home-town. This is because of the discrimination experienced on their return due to the stigma that is attached to sex slavery - some women were disowned by their families.
The photographs are highly emotive. Because the stories are told from different perspectives the viewer is able to gain a fuller understanding of the subject. With the exception of a photograph showing an arm with self-harm scars, the images do not show the physical harm the women must have been subjected to.
The photographs are contextualised with text, ‘Sisters Ana and Cristina were trafficked to Ukraine and forced to work without being paid. Ana was sexually abused’ is placed next to a photograph of two girls. The sadness and vulnerability of these two figures is so apparent. They look so young, one girl is wearing jeans with embroidered flowers. The sisters have been photographed on a sunny day, they are holding hands, dressed casually – a standard summer’s scene to be captured. However, their expressions are not typical for this type of photograph, they are not smiling and their body language communicates a feeling of awkwardness and resignation. The sisters show strength and resolve by holding hands and looking directly at the camera and therefore straight at the viewer, they are in control of what is communicated in this photograph, inviting the viewer to contemplate what happened to them in the past and what their future will be.
Alex Gaites
Nicely written. Good clear contextualisation of the works you chose in relation to the exhibition as a whole.
ReplyDeleteHelen