Few days back I had written about the living statues in my other blog A Slice of Art & Design. What a coincidence that a very similar technique was being used in one of the popular malls in Dubai last week. A few stores had come together with a Radio station (who runs a few FM channels in different languages) to host a competition. The competition was quite uncommon (I shall not comment if I liked the idea or I did not) for this city where there is a constant attempt to inject new ideas to promote consumerism.
This particular competition was called “Spot the real model”. There were a few (5 to be precise) model who were posing with the mannequins in the display windows of the stores spread all over the mall. It was exactly the same act as one of those living models. The only difference probably was that they were working under a corporate or a modeling assignment and not as street performers.
All one had to do to claim a prize (shopping vouchers) was to be one of the first three persons to spot the live model and run and report to the organizers. You would then receive a shopping voucher and you could also request your favorite song to be played over the fm station.
But for the models, it was not easy. Seating or standing there in a frozen state and people taking picture might not be all that fun. I may be guilty of taking this picture…. but I did it just for this blog. I tried asking for her permission before taking the picture using sign language. I took her silence to be her consent. Probalby I am mistaken.. probably they were enjoying the whole Paparazzi attention and were well taking in their strides. After all its all in a days work as they say.....
We had some 'living statues' as street performers in Dublin - the original one was quite a celebrity! I've often thought that it must be the most difficult and most unappreciated job in the world and it puzzles me why anyone would want to do such a difficult thing for such little recognition!
ReplyDeleteI have come across loving statues on the streets of Madrid and Lucerne, they just replicate themselves as a portrait or an angel or some wierd thing and just stand on a tool without even batting an eyelid, Its a huge crowd puller but I found the whole thing very sad!
ReplyDeletereally? I cant make out the difference! Kudos to the people who can stand still without even battling an eyelid for hours and pose just like mannequins!
ReplyDeleteNormally mannequines are supposed to be put up to appear like models,and here the models are posing like manequins! What a paradoxy
Wow, I would have never thought she was a life model. I simply can not imagine standing this still for that long, I would go insane. Or start laughing.;)
ReplyDeleteEurope is full of such street performers. Kids and adults love to take a photo with them. This must be so hard, to stand there all day. I do not know whether I should admire their patience or feel sorry for their condition.
ReplyDeleteIn Covent Garden, they had a brilliant living statue; he would stand still for so long, you'd forget and then he'd reach over and take a sweetie out of your bag or stroke your face. It was great fun watching all the people jump out of their skin then laugh. Except one guy. He almost had a heart attack but was ok after we looked after him and gave him some water. I'm thinking they liked the attention... :O)
ReplyDelete