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We're curious. The Huffington Post brought this exhibition, titled "Asylum" by gay photographer/filmmake Alexander Kargaltsev to our attention.
In it, Kargaltsev captures Russian gay male asylum seekers that have escaped violence and discrimination in their country. The men have been shot naked against famous New York backdrops.
The exhibit's curator, Ivan Savvine says of the work: "The models' nakedness is a powerful visual statement imbued with symbolism. They are not nude but naked, for they had courage to shed the many layers of fear and come out to the world uncovered, vulnerable, yet proud."
So here's our question: is this a legitimate commentary or just an excuse to get some hot Russian guys naked? You be the judge.
The exhibition runs Oct. 26-28 at 287 Spring Gallery in New York.
Huff Po quotes Savvine's introductory notes on the collection: "Their naked bodies thus also reveal their experience as refugees, for every person seeking refuge rebuilds his or her life completely 'naked,' starting from scratch with no family or friends and often without the language they can speak or understand."
It should be noted that Kargaltsev is no stranger to anti-gay persecution, having clashed with the Moscow military during a gay pride rally. He'd appear to be sensitive to the subject.
Here are a few images that can be seen from the exhibition. We'd love to hear from any Instincters that visit. You tell us--is this more artistic commentary? Sensationalism? Exploitation? Any or all of the above?
What's your Instinct?
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