from unknown friends
12.02.2023 2PM : a group of unknown people from the same city got together to share ideas, knowledge, culture, opinions, their time and companionship
Many times during my photography career I could notice that most photographers are “obliged” to create some sort of project, to make themselves heard and create art in the most spectacular ways. And many of them do such things. This simple act of creation which is moving many artists towards breaking old habits and bringing new light, took my attention. For a long time, I tried to come up with an idea. I was thinking about sustainability and how it can be visualised, how I can bring something prosperous to humanity. I was a bit harsh on myself and I was pushing too much. But it seemed to me too far away in my dreams and I couldn’t push myself to do something. I felt like not having enough skills, material support or even that simple idea that should help start the whole process of creation.
Now, in 2023, I suddenly got it. The simple idea came after a few months of working as a part-time photographer and trying to figure out how that thing, called “business” works. The idea came as if it was already there, sitting in my head for years, waiting to be discovered. At first, I was thinking that it might be too much crazy idea, but after this long time of not progressing, I realised I just have to do it! There was no other choice for me than to just walk into the room with uncomfortable feelings. But secondly, also the good part of it woke up. I felt satisfied that I would be finally contributing to the artist community too.
So, now, you may ask: “What IS that artistic idea you are talking about"? It’s pretty simple and I feel a bit ashamed. I am living in Brno for almost 7 years and I realised how much I do not know people here. Brno is a small city but it is a place of cultural variability, opportunities, pretty-good coffee, and beer. My idea was thus simple:
BRING PEOPLE OF DIFFERENT CULTURES TOGETHER TO CREATE & CONTRIBUTE TO THE COMMUNITY, SHARE IDEAS, AND KNOWLEDGE. BESIDES, COMPARE PEOPLE’S BEHAVIOUR IN PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY BEFORE AND AFTER THE GATHERING, TO SEE THE IMPACT.
How they were behaving and looking and what were their body was saying? How much their expression changed? Can we say they were happier before or after? Was there any fear of meeting totally unknown people in a totally unknown place? Do these people seem happier after the gathering? If so, does it mean they enjoyed it? These were the questions flowing through my head. It seemed logical and reasonable to me, so, I wanted to try it. I invited 10 totally unknown people from Brno city to meet and share anything they would like to share. I was thinking that I have to start in some special way. In a way that they would remember the moment. They would remember the good feeling. So, I asked them one question, in order to participate in this project.
What is the one thing you love about yourself, or what you are proud of about yourself?
And guess what happened? People were really interested participating in. I was surprised and so much inspired by the many positive responses my message had and also, by how much were people in need of meeting somebody new, and experiencing something not that common. Some of their responses to the question are here:
“Whenever I engage in something I want to achieve, I remain consistent and never quit”
“ I a proud to meet people from different cultures and to have this cultural experience.”
“I love my pessimism.”
“I am proud of being able to bounce back and find my peace of mind and presence after having suffered in past.”
“I love my optimistic view on life.”
“I think I am most proud of my whole life as it is.“
“I am proud of my hard work, facing a lot of obstacles, family pressure, and emotional barrier. I kept a belief in myself that I will make it and I made it.“
“I love the way I am making money from everything as possible. Money matters at the end of the day and I am good at it.“
“I am brave, adventurous, and passionate. I respect other people’s views and woman's beliefs in gender equality.“
“I am proud of being open and honest.”
After reading their statements, my heart melted. To be honest, I am sometimes very pessimistic when I realise how much bad stuff is happening and people are not caring about it that much. But this showed me again, that people are not “bad” at their core. This is about something different and I am eager to find out. I think the point is that we people are mostly living in situations, places, and circumstances, which I would call “bad conditions”. When combined with bad attitudes inherited by our parents and surrounding, we learn the wrong way of communicating. I do not think that we are all moulded to the core and want no good in the world. I deeply believe that the only 2 things that people want are to be loved & understood.
We need to be able to provide people with these two fundamental emotions. It is not only healthy, to take care of other’s feelings and needs, but it basically restructures our brain in a way we can all benefit from. So, the next time you can choose between yelling at someone, because he or she refused to do something you want, stop for a while. Take a deep breath. And listen. Listen to the words that the second person offers you. Listen not for judgement but for clarity. Ask questions, join the dialogue, and try to understand, what is behind the emotions, but not with aggression. Caring deeply and providing empathy and love (not explicitly sexual love) can create something beautiful in another human being.
Just this first part taught me a lot. What happened next, was truly miraculous for us. This psychology-artistic project became alive and was held in our tiny studio in Brno, Sunday afternoon. It was 1:45 PM when the first cancellations came to my side. “I knew it will happen!”, my brain told me: “This is a sign, but, don’t take it seriously”, so I waited. At 2 PM, the ring bell started and my two cats went crazy. I felt my nervosity in the throat and at the back of my neck. This is the first opportunity in my life where I felt a deep connection between something I love-photography and something that I am trying to be better at-focusing on creating an opportunity to let people feel more natural and being themselves. After some time, 4 totally unknown people entered our studio and I was so surprised by the diversity they brought with them because never ever in my life I was sitting with a group of people where everybody’s passport was showing a different origin. Our group was composed of people from South Africa, Greece, Turkey, Moldova, Iran and Slovakia. It was truly interesting just at the beginning. As I and my partner have Iranian-Slovakian habits in our home, we chose Turkish/Iranian tea, fruits and fresh dates for this occasion.
Here are pictures of my new friends from KNOWN-UNKNOWN CITY before and after the gathering. When they entered the studio, the first thing after saying “Hi! How are you?” was to take a photograph that would represent the “unknown, the fear, the expectations, the trust-unworthiness”, but also “challenge, excitement, hope and even happiness”.
When you look at these pictures what can you deduct from them? Try to see behind, by yourself…
Roni (South Africa)
BEFORE AFTER
Mehmet (Turkey)
BEFORE AFTER
Oxana (Moldova)
BEFORE AFTER
Giannis (Greece)
BEFORE AFTER
Esmaeil (Iran)
BEFORE AFTER
And what we learnt in the following 4 hours? Let me give you a brief view of interesting things we learnt from each other:
topics about politics are very common for starting a discussion
you do not need to agree with your family to love them
your name can be as crazy as possible, like Ronald + Patricia = Ronecia
good opportunities will always find you
kids in Mozambique suffer from coming on time
1/10 piece of a chip (in the computer or related) can be written on 2000 pages
South-African people might seem white but their butt says the opposite
if you are willing, even after 11 years of being a general practitioner, you can reach your dreams
lions are sometimes pets, but you should be aware they can run really fast and jump over a fence or climb on it
what “being a mother” means is thinking about the future of your kids, even if it means changing your language or behaviour
pessimism is just a different view and can be seen as realism
hard skills can be learnt but personal (soft) skills can be only acquired in time, you need to work hard for them
When I am looking at these pictures, I can see that everybody was after the gathering kind of more relaxed, feeling more connected, and full of energy but also more peaceful. After the whole afternoon, I really can say that I felt so connected and hopeful. For me personally, this gathering gave me a new light on my life.
I was in the company of people who willingly shared their life stories with us and I am so grateful for it. In my opinion, it was a great adventurous step that helped me to be more conscious of people’s needs and to get to know them better. I hope it was the same on my friends’ side and I am looking forward to exploring other crazy stories.
With all my love & passion, grace and gratitude for you guys,
Zlati
