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Don’t feel guilty if you want to buy a semi-addictive stimulant from a skankily-dressed Asian girl in SoHo – It’s art!
New York artist Annamarie Ho is recreating a booth from which betelnut, a type of seed, is often sold by nearly-naked women to passing men in Taiwan. From her website:
Betelnut, a mild stimulant, is consumed throughout Asia; only in Taiwan, however, is it sold by binlang xi shi, scantily-clad girls in glass booths found on street corners and highways, catering to a clientele consisting primarily of working-class men.
Binlang Xi Shi (Betelnut Girls) recreates one of these booths with a hired actress playing the role of the betelnut girl. During the performance dates, she will sell betelnut to passers-by.
The piece intends to examine the complicated social and cultural exchange between the girls and the customers.
I never really saw any of the girls wearing brightly colored wigs in the betel nut booths. But, they do take after the Japanese quite a bit, so it is fitting.