ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Uldus Bakhtiozina - Artist, visionary
TED Fellow Uldus Bakhtiozina creates photo stories and video installations that challenge stereotypes and create diversity, involving all types of people from fashion models to ordinary people. She presents the world with humor and thoughtfulness.

Why you should listen

Uldus Bakhtiozina is an artist and filmmaker who lives and works in Russia. Born in Leningrad, now St. Petersburg, into a Muslim-Christian family, Bakhtiozina studied and worked in London in graphic design and photography before settling on her unique style which mixes folklore, history, fashion and challenging stereotypes. Calling her style "Tatar Baroque," in part because she is half Tatar, Bakhtiozina has a passion for irregularity, and she says that her work documents dreams. Bakhtiozina creates everything inside her analogue photography and films, from outfits to stages, to fulfill the story behind each of her creations. None of her works have been digitally manipulated.

More profile about the speaker
Uldus Bakhtiozina | Speaker | TED.com
TED2014

Uldus Bakhtiozina: Wry photos that turn stereotypes upside down

Uldus Bakhtiozina: Foto te cuditshme qe i permbysin stereotipet

Filmed:
1,570,416 views

Artistja Uldus Bakhtiozina perdor fotografite per te shenjestruar normat sociale ne vendin e saj te lindjes ne Rusi. Nje veshtrim ne kulturen e rinise ne Rusi dhe nje kujtese te shkurter, argetuese per te mos e marre veten aq seriozisht.
- Artist, visionary
TED Fellow Uldus Bakhtiozina creates photo stories and video installations that challenge stereotypes and create diversity, involving all types of people from fashion models to ordinary people. She presents the world with humor and thoughtfulness. Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

00:12
Good afternoon.
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Mirembrema.
00:14
My name is Uldus.
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Une quhem Uldus.
00:15
I am a photo-based artist from Russia.
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Jam nje artiste -fotografe nga Rusia.
00:19
I started my way around six years ago
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Fillova rrugetimin tim rreth 6 vjet me pare
00:22
with ironic self-portraits
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me vete-portrete ironike
00:25
to lay open so many stereotypes
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per te nxjerre ne pah shume stereotipe
00:28
about nationalities, genders,
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ne lidhje me kombesite, gjinite,
00:32
and social issues —
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dhe ceshtje sociale -
00:33
["I am Russian. I sell drugs, guns, porno with kids!"]
["Vodka = water. I love vodka!"] (Laughter) —
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["Une jam rus, shes droge, arme, porno dhe femije!"]
["Vodka = uje. Une e dashuroj vodken!"] (Te qeshura) —
00:36
using photography as my tool to send a message.
["Marry me, I need a visa."]
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duke perdorur fotografite e mia per mesazhe.
["Martohu me mua, me duhet nje vize."]
00:41
Today, I am still performing in front of the camera
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Edhe sot, jam akoma duke performuar
perpara kamerave
00:44
and trying to be brave like Wonder Woman.
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duke u perpjekur te jem e forte
si Wonder Woman.
00:48
I focus on balancing meaningful message,
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Une fokusohem ne balancimin
e mesazheve kuptimplote,
00:51
aesthetic, beauty, composition,
some irony, and artifacts.
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estetike, bukuria, kompozimi,
pak ironi dhe objekte kulturore.
00:57
Today, I'm going to tell you about my project,
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Sot, do t`iu tregoj juve
ne lidhje me projektin tim,
01:01
which is named Desperate Romantics.
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qe eshte emeruar Romantiket e Deshperuar.
01:04
They're my artifacts, or paintings
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Keto jane artifaktet e mia, ose pikturat
01:05
from pre-Raphaelites Brotherhood England
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nga para-Vellazeria Rafaelite e Anglise
01:10
mid-19th century.
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ne mesin e shekullit te 19.
01:12
I took the painting
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E mora pikturen
01:14
and gifted new, contemporary meaning
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dhe i dhashe nje kuptim te ri,
kontemporan,
01:18
talking about issues which are surrounding me
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duke folur per ceshtje qe me rrethojne mua
01:22
in Russia,
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ne Rusi,
01:23
capturing people who are non-models
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duke fotografuar njerez qe nuk jane modele
01:26
but have an interesting story.
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por kane nje histori interesante.
01:29
This boy is a professional dancer,
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Ky djali eshte nje kercimtar profesionist.
01:31
only 12 years old,
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vetem 12 vjec,
01:33
but at secondary school, he hides his dancing classes
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por ne shkollen fillore, ai i fshihte
kurset e kercimit qe ndiqte
01:37
and is wearing the mask of brutality,
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dhe ka veshur masken e brutalitetit,
01:39
trying to be united with the rest of his classmates
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duke u perpjekur te bashkohej me pjesen tjeter te shokeve te klases
01:44
like a storm trooper has no personality.
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ashtu si nje kalores nuk ka personalitet.
01:46
But this boy has goals and dreams
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Por ky djale ka qellime dhe endrra
01:49
but hides it to be socially accepted,
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por i fsheh ato
qe te pranohet nga shoqeria,
01:52
because being different isn't easy,
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sepse te jesh ndryshe nuk eshte e lehte,
01:55
especially in Russia.
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vecanerisht ne Rusi.
01:57
Next portrait interpretation is metaphoric.
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Interpretimi i portretit tjeter
eshte metaforik.
02:01
And this is Nikita,
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Ky eshte Nikita,
02:03
a security guard from one of the bars
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nje roje sigurie ne nje nga baret
02:06
in St. Petersburg.
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ne Shen Petersburg.
02:08
He likes to say, "You wouldn't like me when I'm angry,"
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Ai donte te thote: "Ju nuk do te me
pelqenit mua kur une jam i nevrikosur"
02:12
quoting Hulk from the movie,
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duke cituar Hulkun nga filmi,
02:14
but I've never seen him angry.
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por une kurre nuk e kam pare
ate te nevrikosur.
02:16
He hides his sensitivities and romantic side,
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Ai e fsheh ndjeshmerine e tij
dhe anen romantike,
02:19
because in Russia, among guys,
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sepse ne Rusi, midis djemve,
02:21
that's not cool to be romantic,
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nuk eshte mire te jesh romantik,
02:23
but it's cool to be surrounded with women
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por eshte bukur
te jesh i shoqeruar me femra
02:26
and look like an aggressive hulk.
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dhe te dukesh si nje Hulk agresiv.
02:28
(Laughter)
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(Te qeshura)
02:31
Sometimes, in my project,
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Ndonjehere, ne projektet e mia,
02:33
I would take the painting
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une mund te marr pikturen
02:35
and give it new meaning
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dhe ti jap nje kuptim te ri
02:38
and new temptation about it.
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dhe joshje te reja ndaj tij.
02:41
Sometimes, I would compare facial features
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Ndonjehere, do te krahasoja
tipare te fytyres
02:44
and playing with words:
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dhe te luaja me fjale:
02:46
irony, Iron Man, ironing man.
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ironi, Iron Man (njeriu i hekurt),
hekuros burra.
02:51
(Laughter)
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(Te qeshura)
02:54
Through the artifacts,
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Nepermjet objekteve
02:56
I bring social issues
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une sjell ceshtje sociale
02:58
which surround me in Russia into the conversation.
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qe me rrethojne mua ne Rusi
neper biseda.
03:01
Interesting fact about marriage in Russia,
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Fakte interesante
ne lidhje me martesen ne Rusi,
03:04
that most of the 18, 19-year-old girls
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se shume nga vajzat 18, 19 vjece
03:08
are already ready, and dream to get married.
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jane gati dhe enderrojne te martohen.
03:11
We're taught from childhood,
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Ne jemi mesuar nga femijeria,
03:13
successful marriage means successful life,
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se nje martese e suksesshme
do te thote nje jete e suksesshme,
03:16
so most of the girls kind of fight
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keshtu qe shume vajza luftojne
03:18
to get a good husband.
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per te marre nje burre te mire.
03:21
And what about me?
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Dhe ne lidhje me mua?
03:23
I'm 27 years old.
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Une jam 27 vjece.
03:25
For Russian society, I'm an old maid
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Nga pikepamja e shoqerse ruse,
une jam nje leneshe e vjeter
03:28
and hopeless to ever get married.
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dhe e pashprese per t'u martuar
ndonjehere.
03:31
That's why you see me in a Mexican fighter mask,
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Dhe ja pse me shihni mua
ne nje maske te luftetareve meksikan
03:34
in the wedding dress, all desperate in my garden.
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ne nje fustan nuserie,
e deshperuar ne kopeshtin tim,
03:39
But remember, irony is the key,
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Por kujtohuni, se ironia eshte celesi.
03:41
and this is actually to motivate girls
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dhe kjo eshte aktualisht
per te motivuar vajzat
03:44
to fight for goals, for dreams,
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te luftojne per qellimet, per enderrat,
03:47
and change stereotypes.
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dhe te ndryshojne stereotipet.
03:50
Be brave. Be ironic — it helps.
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Behu e forte. Behu ironike - te ndihmon.
03:53
Be funny and create some magic.
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Behu argetuese dhe krijo pak magji.
03:57
(Applause)
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(Duartrokitje)
Translated by Eva Hoxha
Reviewed by Helena Bedalli

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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Uldus Bakhtiozina - Artist, visionary
TED Fellow Uldus Bakhtiozina creates photo stories and video installations that challenge stereotypes and create diversity, involving all types of people from fashion models to ordinary people. She presents the world with humor and thoughtfulness.

Why you should listen

Uldus Bakhtiozina is an artist and filmmaker who lives and works in Russia. Born in Leningrad, now St. Petersburg, into a Muslim-Christian family, Bakhtiozina studied and worked in London in graphic design and photography before settling on her unique style which mixes folklore, history, fashion and challenging stereotypes. Calling her style "Tatar Baroque," in part because she is half Tatar, Bakhtiozina has a passion for irregularity, and she says that her work documents dreams. Bakhtiozina creates everything inside her analogue photography and films, from outfits to stages, to fulfill the story behind each of her creations. None of her works have been digitally manipulated.

More profile about the speaker
Uldus Bakhtiozina | Speaker | TED.com