PHOTOGRAPHY – 2 Bankers (Zurich, Switzerland)

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2 Bankers (Zurich, Switzerland), posted by hanswendland

On one of my last trips to Zurich several month ago, I rounded a corner in the downtown theater district to find performance artists doing their thing on the sidewalk to the surprise and disgust of some passers by.

I found the whole scene surreal and a great photo opportunity, so I spent some time following and shooting the scene. None of the actors were speaking, the whole scene was mute, not hurried and unforced. There was no preamble, no announcement or setting of expectations, only the acts, slowly and deliberately executed and brilliantly choreographed.

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Oddly enough, once I got over the symbology of the acts, it seemed perfectly natural in the setting, as the backdrop to this surreal performance was one of the financial centers of Europe.

The beast-master in this case was actually a very interesting choice as the character was dresses as a typical agent of the largest private security firm in Switzerland and immediately recognizable as such – They  are hired and serve mostly banks & bankers…

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The reaction from passers by was predictable in Zurich, most people ignored the whole thing, and when the actors slowly made their way to a bust stop where several people were waiting for public transportation, the people immediately left the scene for calmer grounds. Only tourists actually stopped and stared… and one photographer.

The whole scene unfolded in about 30 minutes and faded with the beast-master leading his two mutts around the far corner of the block, and by the time I got to the corner all I could see were the actors ball-busting-it down the road at full speed, probably very concerned that they might have to spend some “quality time” with the security company they were interpreting and the local police.

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I am not usually very impressed by performance art however this was defiantly the exception. I loved it and it was great!

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Published:
13.11.08 / 6am
Category:
Abstract, Art, Flickr, Photography