Photographer Sparks Outrage with Refugee-Themed Fashion Shoot
Hungarian photographer Norbert Baksa is at the receiving end of Internet outrage this week after publishing a series of fashion photos that he says are inspired by the ongoing refugee crisis.
After Baksa announced the project on Twitter on Monday, public reaction has been swift and critical. Here’s what people are saying on Twitter:
@NorbertBaksa shame on you
— zorba ignatius (@IgnatiusZorba) October 6, 2015
Well now this is utterly sick. 'Migrant chic' fashion shoot http://t.co/cg2eFpRrv6 via @ThomDavies pic.twitter.com/9wPMbSA6Ch
— Lewis Bush (@LewisKayBush) October 6, 2015
Can #photography get any lower than this?! VERY problematic '#Refugee chic' by @NorbertBaksa http://t.co/vvPKQ8piHb pic.twitter.com/GA7fMO4XzE
— Dr Thom Davies (@ThomDavies) October 6, 2015
My god, this migrant fashion shoot is just 100% trash http://t.co/HTP08QHkY1 pic.twitter.com/mcrf0flbEs
— Particitrousers G (@pgreysk) October 6, 2015
Remember Zoolander? This is not a parody, just sick: "Der Migrant" fashion photography! OMG http://t.co/jKKBrudqKO pic.twitter.com/EaL3f4Gj15
— Szabolcs Panyi (@panyiszabolcs) October 6, 2015
The moment a modish fashion photographer disappeared up his own jacksy http://t.co/1tsN5pS6X5
— Guy Adams (@guyadams) October 6, 2015
Baksa responded to his critics with a series of Tweets:
Der Migrant people: realize the complexity of the situation and address it in different angles! Neither pro nor con, raising awareness!
— Norbert Baksa (@NorbertBaksa) October 6, 2015
Pictures are reproductions of reports in Hungarian media. Some show refugees fleeing for life, others show aggressive migrants or terrorists
— Norbert Baksa (@NorbertBaksa) October 6, 2015
Aim is not 2 offend refugees or anybody else, but 2 show duality in news reports in the media.
— Norbert Baksa (@NorbertBaksa) October 6, 2015
Pictures are results of voluntary project to bring the different views together by opening our minds to discover new points of views
— Norbert Baksa (@NorbertBaksa) October 7, 2015
Baksa says his team’s goal was to depict “a suffering woman, who is also beautiful and despite her situation [and who] has some high quality pieces of outfit and an smartphone.”
The photos are “not intended to glamorize this clearly bad situation,” Baksa writes, “but rather […] to draw the attention to the problem and make people think about it.”
“Artists around the world regularly attract the public’s attention to current problems through ‘shocking’ installations and pictures. This is another example of such art.”