RED GIRLS

After doing reportages in Malawi and Jakarta about male and female sex workers, I started to become curious about the prostitution area in my own city Amsterdam. I live just two kilometers away from the Red Light District and see the girls behind the windows all the time, but we never talk to each other. It seems this is a completely different group of women than the women I know.

I would love to meet them and for this reason I will start a new series.

My main question will be: how and where would you like to be photographed? This could be everywhere in the country, recognizable or unrecognizable.

My second question will be:  What should people from Amsterdam need to know about you? 

The duration of this project will be July 2014 till July 2015. It will contain photography, film and text. Keep an eye on this page to see the progress.

The Amsterdam Red Light District covers a large area of the oldest part of the city. The buildings are tall, thin and crowd together, overlooking the tree lined canals. The Amsterdam Red Light District is a beautiful area and the later it gets, the busier it gets. And the darker it gets, the more obvious the glow of the fluorescent red lights above the many windows in the area becomes.

Dating back to the 14th Century when sailors arrived in need of some female company, the district has a lot of  sex shops, brothels, gay bars, cinemas, hotels and different kinds of museums. The district is officially designated by authorities for legal and regulated prostitution. Each year, millions of visitors come to see this vibrant part of Amsterdam.