Uldus Bakhtiozina: Wry photos that turn stereotypes upside down

Translator: Eva Hoxha Reviewer: Helena Bedalli

Good afternoon.

Mirembrema.

My name is Uldus.

Une quhem Uldus.

I am a photo-based artist from Russia.

Jam nje artiste -fotografe nga Rusia.

I started my way around six years ago

Fillova rrugetimin tim rreth 6 vjet me pare

with ironic self-portraits

me vete-portrete ironike

to lay open so many stereotypes

per te nxjerre ne pah shume stereotipe

about nationalities, genders,

ne lidhje me kombesite, gjinite,

and social issues —

dhe ceshtje sociale -

["I am Russian. I sell drugs, guns, porno with kids!"] ["Vodka = water. I love vodka!"] (Laughter) —

["Une jam rus, shes droge, arme, porno dhe femije!"] ["Vodka = uje. Une e dashuroj vodken!"] (Te qeshura) —

using photography as my tool to send a message. ["Marry me, I need a visa."]

duke perdorur fotografite e mia per mesazhe. ["Martohu me mua, me duhet nje vize."]

Today, I am still performing in front of the camera

Edhe sot, jam akoma duke performuar perpara kamerave

and trying to be brave like Wonder Woman.

duke u perpjekur te jem e forte si Wonder Woman.

I focus on balancing meaningful message,

Une fokusohem ne balancimin e mesazheve kuptimplote,

aesthetic, beauty, composition, some irony, and artifacts.

estetike, bukuria, kompozimi, pak ironi dhe objekte kulturore.

Today, I'm going to tell you about my project,

Sot, do t`iu tregoj juve ne lidhje me projektin tim,

which is named Desperate Romantics.

qe eshte emeruar Romantiket e Deshperuar.

They're my artifacts, or paintings

Keto jane artifaktet e mia, ose pikturat

from pre-Raphaelites Brotherhood England

nga para-Vellazeria Rafaelite e Anglise

mid-19th century.

ne mesin e shekullit te 19.

I took the painting

E mora pikturen

and gifted new, contemporary meaning

dhe i dhashe nje kuptim te ri, kontemporan,

talking about issues which are surrounding me

duke folur per ceshtje qe me rrethojne mua

in Russia,

ne Rusi,

capturing people who are non-models

duke fotografuar njerez qe nuk jane modele

but have an interesting story.

por kane nje histori interesante.

This boy is a professional dancer,

Ky djali eshte nje kercimtar profesionist.

only 12 years old,

vetem 12 vjec,

but at secondary school, he hides his dancing classes

por ne shkollen fillore, ai i fshihte kurset e kercimit qe ndiqte

and is wearing the mask of brutality,

dhe ka veshur masken e brutalitetit,

trying to be united with the rest of his classmates

duke u perpjekur te bashkohej me pjesen tjeter te shokeve te klases

like a storm trooper has no personality.

ashtu si nje kalores nuk ka personalitet.

But this boy has goals and dreams

Por ky djale ka qellime dhe endrra

but hides it to be socially accepted,

por i fsheh ato qe te pranohet nga shoqeria,

because being different isn't easy,

sepse te jesh ndryshe nuk eshte e lehte,

especially in Russia.

vecanerisht ne Rusi.

Next portrait interpretation is metaphoric.

Interpretimi i portretit tjeter eshte metaforik.

And this is Nikita,

Ky eshte Nikita,

a security guard from one of the bars

nje roje sigurie ne nje nga baret

in St. Petersburg.

ne Shen Petersburg.

He likes to say, "You wouldn't like me when I'm angry,"

Ai donte te thote: "Ju nuk do te me pelqenit mua kur une jam i nevrikosur"

quoting Hulk from the movie,

duke cituar Hulkun nga filmi,

but I've never seen him angry.

por une kurre nuk e kam pare ate te nevrikosur.

He hides his sensitivities and romantic side,

Ai e fsheh ndjeshmerine e tij dhe anen romantike,

because in Russia, among guys,

sepse ne Rusi, midis djemve,

that's not cool to be romantic,

nuk eshte mire te jesh romantik,

but it's cool to be surrounded with women

por eshte bukur te jesh i shoqeruar me femra

and look like an aggressive hulk.

dhe te dukesh si nje Hulk agresiv.

(Laughter)

(Te qeshura)

Sometimes, in my project,

Ndonjehere, ne projektet e mia,

I would take the painting

une mund te marr pikturen

and give it new meaning

dhe ti jap nje kuptim te ri

and new temptation about it.

dhe joshje te reja ndaj tij.

Sometimes, I would compare facial features

Ndonjehere, do te krahasoja tipare te fytyres

and playing with words:

dhe te luaja me fjale:

irony, Iron Man, ironing man.

ironi, Iron Man (njeriu i hekurt), hekuros burra.

(Laughter)

(Te qeshura)

Through the artifacts,

Nepermjet objekteve

I bring social issues

une sjell ceshtje sociale

which surround me in Russia into the conversation.

qe me rrethojne mua ne Rusi neper biseda.

Interesting fact about marriage in Russia,

Fakte interesante ne lidhje me martesen ne Rusi,

that most of the 18, 19-year-old girls

se shume nga vajzat 18, 19 vjece

are already ready, and dream to get married.

jane gati dhe enderrojne te martohen.

We're taught from childhood,

Ne jemi mesuar nga femijeria,

successful marriage means successful life,

se nje martese e suksesshme do te thote nje jete e suksesshme,

so most of the girls kind of fight

keshtu qe shume vajza luftojne

to get a good husband.

per te marre nje burre te mire.

And what about me?

Dhe ne lidhje me mua?

I'm 27 years old.

Une jam 27 vjece.

For Russian society, I'm an old maid

Nga pikepamja e shoqerse ruse, une jam nje leneshe e vjeter

and hopeless to ever get married.

dhe e pashprese per t'u martuar ndonjehere.

That's why you see me in a Mexican fighter mask,

Dhe ja pse me shihni mua ne nje maske te luftetareve meksikan

in the wedding dress, all desperate in my garden.

ne nje fustan nuserie, e deshperuar ne kopeshtin tim,

But remember, irony is the key,

Por kujtohuni, se ironia eshte celesi.

and this is actually to motivate girls

dhe kjo eshte aktualisht per te motivuar vajzat

to fight for goals, for dreams,

te luftojne per qellimet, per enderrat,

and change stereotypes.

dhe te ndryshojne stereotipet.

Be brave. Be ironic — it helps.

Behu e forte. Behu ironike - te ndihmon.

Be funny and create some magic.

Behu argetuese dhe krijo pak magji.

(Applause)

(Duartrokitje)