Image Source: The Mirror
High fashion and the migrant crisis have collided in Hungarian photographer Norbert Baksa’s “migrant chic” new photo shoot. In the photos, viewers can see a “migrant” model being dragged away by authorities, or checking her Chanel-branded phone. A razor-wire fence reminiscent of the Hungary-Serbia border looms in the background of both. The model, Monika Jablonczky, is in various states of undress throughout the shoot, presenting a stark contrast to the conservative style of women’s dress in the Middle East.
Baksa is calling the photo shoot “Der Migrant,” and his photos drew criticism from all across the Internet within hours of posting them to social media on Monday. Responses ranged from offended to outraged.
Europe is struggling to cope with the more than 500,000 people who have already fled to the continent this year, many of them Syrian refugees escaping civil war. Hungary has taken heavy handed measures to prevent these people from entering the country, including conducting mass arrests of migrants and constructing a 109-mile long razor wire fence between its border with Serbia.
Baksa posted a note on his website defending his motives and his photographs. He states they were “not intended to glamourize (sic) this clearly bad situation,” rather they were created to “draw the attention to the problem and make people think about it.” He also posted on Twitter that the pictures were reproductions of media reports in Hungary, representing the duality of some refugees being shown fleeing for their life and others shown as terrorists.
“Regarding the reactions,” Baksa wrote on his website, “I hoped people would realize that the situation is very complex and see that they are taking stands based on partial or biased information. I do not understand how people can take a clear stand (pro or con) while we are flooded with contradictory information through the media, so no one has extensive knowledge of the situation as a whole. This is exactly what we wanted to picture: you see a suffering woman, who is also beautiful and despite her situation, has some high quality pieces of outfit and a smartphone.”
Baksa has since removed the photographs.
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