Am 7. Februar werden die Olympischen Winterspiele im russischen Sotschi eröffnet – und damit erstmals in einer subtropischen und von Konflikten geprägten Region. Der Fotograf Rob Hornstra und der Autor Arnold van Bruggen sind aus diesem Grund seit 2009 insgesamt elf Mal in die Kaukasusregion gereist – um zu dokumentieren, zu beobachten und zu verstehen. „The Sochi Project“ balanciert zwischen engagiertem Journalismus und Kunst, finanziert wurde es zudem zum überwiegenden Teil über Crowdfunding.
Im Standard aus Wien ist heute mein Artikel dazu erschienen – und zwar im Sportteil, was ich persönlich ziemlich gut finde: Bislang hat „The Sochi Project“ vor allem Aufmerksamkeit aus der Kunstszene erhalten, aus dem Bereich Sport hat sich bislang eigentlich fast nie jemand für die Probleme vor Ort interessiert. Schön, dass sich das ändert.
Im Fotomuseum Antwerpen läuft übrigens noch bis zum 2. März die große Ausstellung zu „The Sochi Project“. Und ab 31. Januar ist eine kleinere Version in der Galerie Fotohof in Salzburg zu sehen.
Links: The Sochi Project, FotoMuseum Antwerpen, Fotohof
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- Chermen, RUSSIA, 2011 – Taimuraz Tsirigov (56) and his grandchild Dasha (1,5) © Rob Hornstra / The Sochi Project
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- Gimry, RUSSIA, 2012 – View from the road between Shamilkala and Gimry. In the distance are the first houses of Gimry, birthplace of the 19th-century resistance hero Imam Shamil and a h otbed for the current Islamic-inspired separatism. Gimry is under a permanent KTO regime (KTO stands for counterterrorist operation), a kind of state of emergency that gives the police sweeping powers. © Rob Hornstra / The Sochi Project
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- Kuabchara, ABKHAZIA, 2009 – Brothers Zashrikwa (17) and Edrese (14) pose proudly with a Kalashnikov on the sofa in their aunt and uncle’s house. They live in the Kodori Valley, a remote mountainous region on the border between Abkhazia and Georgia. In August 2008, Abkhazia gained control of the officially demilitarised Kodori Valley. The valley’s 2,000 Georgian inhabitants fled over the border. A few families refused to be driven out: ‚We are mountain people. Borders don’t mean very much to us. But if I had to choose between a Georgian and an Abkhazian passport, I would choose a Georgian one.‘ © Rob Hornstra / The Sochi Project
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- Sochi, RUSSIA, 2011 – It’s common for Sochi restaurants (and eateries throughout the country) to feature singers who, night after night, rely on a fixed repertoire of Russian chansons. The term ?background music? is a foreign concept to these performers (often the volume is cranked up to 11) and instead of talking, patrons dance and sing. On this photo: Marika Baiur in restaurant Eurasia in Sochi. © Rob Hornstra / The Sochi Project
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- © Rob Hornstra / The Sochi Project
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- Sochi, RUSSIA, 2012 – Olga, 29, is the manager of strip club ‚Art Klub‘ in hotel Zhemchuzhina (Pearl) in the centre of Sochi. She has been dancing since she was 9 years old. She hates it when people don’t understand that this is a form of art as well. Her dream is to start a family and have babies, she says. But whatever happens: she will continue dancing. What is your name? Olga (Manager) How old are you? 29 Where were you born? Ukraine, Severodonetsk Where did you learn this job? By myself, I was dancing since I was 9 years old. How long do you do this job? 8 years now What do you like most and what don’t you like about your job? I likes to dance. I don’t like people who do not understand this form of art. What do you earn more or less with this job? I can not say. I am not complaining. I earn enough. Do you consider this as a summer job? I work here all year, so for me it is not a summer job. Do you think you will work here as well during the Olympic Winter Games? Yes What is your biggest dream or your goal for the future? To start a family and to have babies. © Rob Hornstra / The Sochi Project
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- Sochi, RUSSIA, 2009 – Every year, Mikhail Pavelivich Karabelnikov (77) from Novokuznetsk travels around 3,000 kilometres in order to be able to take his holiday in Sochi. The coastal strip on the Black Sea around the subtropical resort of Sochi (Russia) has for decades been famous for its sanatoria. During the Soviet era, millions of workers were sent to one of these sanatoria annually to revive their spirits and strengthen their bodies. Today, the sanatoria are still fully booked year round mostly with elderly or disabled Russians. In the run-up to the Olympic Winter Games in 2014, almost all the sanatoria will be converted into luxury hotels. There is no place for sentimentality when it comes to the past. Sanatorium is an ode to these Soviet strongholds, revealing a deep-seated love for spas that is firmly embedded in the Russian soul. © Rob Hornstra / The Sochi Project
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- Gudauri, GEORGIA, 2013 – Soviet Monument to Russo-Georgian Friendship, north of Gudauri. © Rob Hornstra / The Sochi Project