Black Pete vs Dream Pete #Update #DutchTradition

Currently, in The Netherlands, it’s the time of the national festival of St Nicholas. It’s a very old and populair Dutch tradition. Already since more then 500 years St Nicholas is celebrated as a family festivity with focus on the joy of the children. St Nicholas is a wise old saint who is a friend of everyone, especially of the children. He has a team of cheerful servants, they’re called Black Pete. It’s very possible that, people from far outside the Netherlands, have already heard of them because that’s where things start to be weird… Black Pete is generally played by a white person with a black painted face, red painted lips, topped with a black curly wig. Yes this basically blackface make-up, and gives the racist impression of expressing a caricature of a black person.

Even though it might be hard to understand for people outside the Netherlands, but St Nicholas festival is not meant to be racist. All Dutch people love Black Pete and the children see them as their great friend. Yet, in stark contrast with the overall joy of the folkloric tradition, the Black Pete persona brings a lot of controversy and debate in the country. Watch this video for more insights.

The supporters of Black Pete, who don’t see the figure as racist, want to honour the Dutch folkloric festival the way it is. For them, Black Pete is an important part of Dutch culture and needs to be honoured. In the contrary, you have people that feel hurt and offended by Black Pete. They find it a racist figure with obvious connotations with the Dutch slave trade. The Black Pete opponents want to keep celebrating St Nicholas but with an updated version of Black Pete, free from its racist features.

Protest voices, especially from Dutch people with a Surinam and Antillean background, raised in the early 80s. Despite their request for a more respectful ‘Pete’, not much changed. Understandably, since the last couple of years the presence and loudness of the anti-Black-Pete voice is increasing. We as a half Dutch artist duo, believe that the wish to update Black Pete is very rightful, better said… crucial. To be frank, we’re ashamed for the Black Pete figure as a representative of Dutch culture.

To celebrate positive change, and to exprebs the excitement that new choices and new customs can bring, we made some sketch collages of contemporary Dream Pete’s. With this blog post we want to express our position in the Black Pete debate (we actually really can’t believe that this debate is still going on!) and share our strong wish that Black Pete gets a gracious metamorphose that is joyous for everyone, and evidently not hurtful for people with a different background.

Happy Sint Nicholas celebration to ALL people of The Netherlands xxxx

This entry was written by Pinar&Viola, posted on December 3, 2015 at 11:53 pm, filed under Amsterdam, Folk, Persona, Political glam, transcendence, Trending. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.

Do u know how powerful u are??¿!

This entry was written by Pinar&Viola, posted on September 22, 2015 at 8:49 am, filed under Dematerialization, digital craft, Folk, Internet, transcendence. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.

Allergic to
modern life

For our Dazed&Confused column we investigated the sci-fi extremes of electromagnetic sensitivity:

An EHS statement piece

We, Pinar & Viola, just like the rest of our generation, consume and produce on the internet. Our laptops are the extension of our hands. We can work anywhere as long as we have our laptops and a fast connection (you can keep track of us on Instagram here).

But it seems the times we used the internet as a means of escape are over. Instead, more often than not, we’re trying to escape the internet. As an artist duo, we are kind of internet-tired: no more browser buttons in our work. This probably has to do with the mainstreaming, and subsequent overkill, of post-internet aesthetics. We feel like closing our digital windows; we’re longing to touch the real-life earth with our bare feet, leaving our phones in airplane mode. But what if that’s not enough to discharge ourselves?

EHS symptoms range from acute headaches, skin burning, muscle twitches, chronic fatigue and other 21st century malaises

Imagine a day when you develop an allergy towards the internet, your iPhone, or even worse, your brand new Galaxy S4. Imagine that data-roaming and scrolling through Instagram makes your skin itch, while tweeting leaves a metallic taste in your mouth. With red, irritated eyes, you find yourself changing your FB status: “Electromagnetic hypersensitive.”

Electromagnetic bathing
Electromagnetic hypersensitivity sounds like a futuristic nightmare but, for a group of people, it is a RL status. Electromagnetic hypersensitivity (EHS) might be a new malady or maybe an up-to-date, hypochondriac conspiracy theory. What many of us don’t realise, though, is that the radiation we’ve been exposed to over the last ten years has been hundreds, even thousands, of times higher than in our pre-wireless age.
Scientists agree that electromagnetic fields are dangerous at high levels, but it’s kind of agreed that the low levels emitted from our devices are safe. However, institutions like the National Cancer Institute now acknowledge that more research regarding our recent “electromagnetic bathing” is needed.
Electromagnetic fields, like o.a. GSM and wi-fi, cause electromagnetic hyper-sensitives a wild range of symptoms. According to sufferers, EHS symptoms range from acute headaches, skin burning, muscle twitches, chronic fatigue and other 21st century malaises. It’s a fascinating, electro-phobic cocktail of anxiety and science-fiction spookiness.

As “normal people”, we don’t realize that our society is actually an electro-dictatorship where it is impossible to escape from man-made radiation

To date, EHS has gained little acceptance from the medical and scientific community. As there is no specific medical test for it, all EHS sufferers are self-diagnosed. Nevertheless, the number of people around the world claiming to have EHS is growing. Similarly, research into this controversial condition is increasing and EHS charities are fighting to get the surreal malaise officially recognized. Sweden is the only country where EHS is recognized as a valid medical condition, while the rest of the scientific world laughs or waits for more evidence.

But just because there’s no evidence (yet) doesn’t guarantee that something doesn’t exist. Plus, these kinds of weird, sociological phenomena can be very intriguing. Plumbing through blogs, we dug into this modern folklore-meets-conspiracy theory. What we discovered was electrifying!

Radiation-proofing a bedroom

The survival methods of electromagnetic hypersensitives are bizarrely thrilling. As “normal people”, we don’t realize that our society is actually an electro-dictatorship where it is impossible to escape from man-made radiation. Electromagnetic emissions, known to EHS suffers as electrosmog, are beaming at us from every corner: radiation, 24/7.

EHS sufferers are only safe in a reclusive rural life, in tech-free fortresses where it is impossible for electrosmog to creep in. It’s sad, but the most extreme EHS sufferers claim to have no choice but to live in a Farady Cage.
For desperate electromagnetic hypersensitives, their condition demands creative solutions. Some EHS solutions resembles a neo form of Art Brut. They look like visionary creations, reflections of our own excessive lives and paranoia. Cool, pure silver relieves wifi-burn the best. Their inventions are harsh and drastic, with an obscure poetry.

The shielded lives of EHS victims are extreme extrapolations of the influence that technology exerts on our lives

Lightning-proof fashion
Many EH sensitives dress with an uncalculated, atypical sophistication, their aim to bounce the radiation right off. EHS fashion is dramatic and evocative; forceful looks of oversized spy-wear couture. In their outfits, the mystical and the militant blend seamlessly, their layers of futuristic monochrome silver tones powerful enough to knock out submarine radar. Outfits are finished with EHS accessories like silver plated beanies, foil-lined brain coats and grounding gloves. SS13’s metallic trend fades next to the utility statement pieces of the electromagnetic hypersensitive.
All electromagnetic (EM) protective fashion, with a shielding effectiveness of 99.99%, is made out of high-tech textile with fine weavings of silver wire. Crafty EHS sufferers weave metres of EM-shielding fabric into wifi-proof curtains and bed-cages. On several websites you can find many more EHS products: computer and cellphone shields, shielding paints, foil-lined wallpaper, earthling products, radiation detectors, educational kits… The list goes on.

Technological ignorance
The shielded lives of EHS victims are extreme extrapolations of the influence that technology exerts on our lives. In their wifi-free minds, they merge the philosophical with the factual (some, for instance, believe that PCs literally fry your brain). It’s obvious that electromagnetic hypersensitives are eccentric, but their bizarre theories reflect on our common future: their self-diagnosis is an amplified version of the stress we face with our ‘always on’ lifestyles.

Silver mesh with a shielding effectiveness of 99.99%

A radiation-free telephone

An example of electromagnetic-proof fashion

#wiwt Radiation proof beanie

A tech-free fortress home

Chakra stones for mobile phones

Cool comfort from electro-magnetic rays

Protection from modern life

Electrosmog free beds

Fashion forward and electrosmog free

Grounding iGloves

A handsome radiation blocking shirt

Radiation-proof silver is the new black

Radiation shielding rooftop

Silver wifi shield

Stylish electromagnetic hypersensitive Sarah Dacre

The chic and radiation proof Sarah Dacre

Your personal radiation protector

This entry was written by Pinar&Viola, posted on November 25, 2013 at 10:37 am, filed under Dematerialization, Digitalization, Folk, Lifestyle, P&V for Dazed Digital, Research, Subculture, Trending, Uncategorized. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.

Reborn babies

A reborn doll is a manufactured vinyl doll that has been transformed to resemble a human baby with as much realism as possible. Today there are a lot of understandable reasons why people choose not to have a (real) baby: poverty, crisis, unemployment, time etc. It is more efficient to have a baby-for-life whenever you want it. Even better, you can choose its exact looks, which makes the adoption of an ultra-realistic manufactured vinyl doll completely legit.

This entry was written by Pinar&Viola, posted on September 23, 2013 at 4:03 pm, filed under Craftsmanship, Fetish, Folk, Lifestyle, Subculture, Uncategorized. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.

Sportive & Unisexy

Humor is the best excuse for men to travesty themselves without any taboo nor shame. This new trend shows how easy it can be to dress original. It only takes two steps to turn your sport clothes into a dress. This is some comical, gender-free, fashion inspiration for everyone:

This entry was written by Pinar&Viola, posted on September 20, 2013 at 10:12 am, filed under Craftsmanship, Fashion, Folk, Gender, Selfies, Styling, Trending, Uncategorized. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.

The perfect gift for yourself

Make-up artist and art school graduate Vladimir Sushkevich makes dolls 2011. These miniature women replica dolls are used as home decoration. Each one is hand-made and hand-painted, making each production unique. The artist works with pictures of real people to sculpt the figure’s shapes. Everyone can order there own custom-made doll from his website by sending a photo or choosing between different creations.

More information on artist’s website.

This entry was written by Pinar&Viola, posted on September 12, 2013 at 9:28 pm, filed under Art, Craftsmanship, Fetish, Folk, Lifestyle, Uncategorized, Various. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.

Buzzing Rare Editions

Everyone knows about the contemporary bee drama. The media is speculating frenzy about collapsing bee colonies and their increasing extermination. Apparently it concerns all of us since bees are responsible for pollinating a third of our food.

Step 1) Prepare the bees. We find a small, friendly colony and move it during a high flight time to a different apiary site. The foragers cannot find their way to the colony and the colony is left with primarily younger bees. After about 24 hours, we locate the queen and put her in a cage. Next, we shake about 3 lbs of bees from the colony into a package, focusing on the bees from combs with brood. Then we add the queen, feed the bees with a can of sugar syrup, and put them in a cool, dark location for at least 24 hours. We spray the bees periodically with sugar syrup. Well fed bees are less likely to sting, so we keep them fat and happy.
Step 2) Prepare the person. I put vaseline under my eyes and on lips to prevent the bees from crawling there too much. I put cotton in my ears and up my nose to prevent bees from crawling in. I sometimes tape down my collar and sleeves, and tuck my shirt into my pants and tuck my pants into my socks. It isn’t a good look, but it prevents the bees from getting into my clothing.
Step 3) Add bees. We spray the bees with sugar syrup one last time, then open the package and remove the queen and attach a string to her cage. I sit down in a chair, then an assistant ties the queen around my head, so the queen rests under my chin. I hold a lunch tray against my belly and my assistant dumps the bees onto the tray. The bees will smell the queen, crawl up to her and gather there. The bee feet feel strange and electric as they grip the skin on my face and neck. The cling to each other and hang down like a beard. The bees will “think” they are in a swarm, so they should not be defensive.
Step 4) Remove bees. When I am are ready to get them off, I first remove the queen and place her where I want her to be: either back in the package, or on the next person in line. To remove the majority of the bees, I stand over where I want to bees to go and jump down hard, jarring the bees off. The rest are removed with a soft brush. I let the package sit for a few hours, and after the bees have fully gathered I put the bees and queen back into their old colony.

The original tutorial is taken from beeinformed.org.

This entry was written by Pinar&Viola, posted on September 5, 2013 at 8:15 am, filed under Craftsmanship, Creatures, Fashion, Fetish, Folk, Lifestyle, Styling, Sustainability, Trending. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.

Gothic belly dance

These images are taken from the gothic_belly_dance instagram account.

This entry was written by Pinar&Viola, posted on September 3, 2013 at 12:40 pm, filed under Craftsmanship, Fashion, Folk, Other ecstatics, Queer, Styling, Subculture, Uncategorized, Various. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.

Fake scene boosting hope

A struggling town bought itself new hope by painting fake scenes on its walls

A bakery, a bookmaker and a barber have recently appeared in a village in Northern Ireland. But you cannot enter any of them. In a bid to bring in tourists, the town of Bushmills, famous for the whiskey that was first distilled there 400 years ago, has painted over a dozen abandoned storefronts and houses.

It’s not the first time Northern Ireland has tried this. A similar attempt to doll up villages in county Fermanagh so that visiting G8 leaders wouldn’t see how woeful the region looked drew anger and derision; “cosmetic surgery for serious wounds,” one local resident said. But in Bushmills, local residents raised their own funds to add to government money, and the project’s been a success, a local councillor told Reuters; two of the painted stores have already found new owners.

The original article is taken from qz.com. All photos by Cathal McNaught for Reuters.

This entry was written by Pinar&Viola, posted on September 2, 2013 at 7:09 am, filed under Craftsmanship, Folk, Other ecstatics, Styling, Things 'n Flings, Various, Visual ecstasy. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.

Donald ♥ Nancy Couple Fashion

Donald and Nancy Featherstone from Fitchburg, Massachusetts has been dressing in matching outfits everyday for 33 years! Donald made his fortune by inventing the infamous plastic pink flamingo lawn ornament. They met at a convention in 1975, got married, and have been wearing matching outfits since 1980. Nancy would pick out prints that reminds her of her husband’s pink flamingo and make shirts for Donald and cut from the same cloth to make a dress for herself.

This entry was written by Pinar&Viola, posted on June 27, 2013 at 8:00 am, filed under Fashion, Folk, Lifestyle, Persona, Photography, Styling. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.

Most Delightfully Narcissistic Man on Facebook

Meet the most Narcissistic man on facebook, Ahmed Angel. His facebook profile is filled with hundreds of pictures of just himself, all of which has been taken professionally, decorated with funny photo frames, crazy photo effects or realistic photomontages. Let’s enjoy the fun-filled well curated photo gallery of Ahmed Angel!

This blogpost is made possible thanks to Mimi Cracr. Original article from Kotaku.

This entry was written by Pinar&Viola, posted on June 26, 2013 at 9:32 am, filed under Craftsmanship, Digitalization, Fashion, Folk, Ghetto gold, Internet, Other ecstatics, Persona, Selfies, Various. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.

it’s art baby!

This entry was written by Pinar&Viola, posted on April 11, 2013 at 4:55 pm, filed under Craftsmanship, Folk, Research, Things 'n Flings. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.