That’s certainly one way to get noticed.
At the Shanghai marriage market, parents of single folks gather to show off their children’s credentials, in hopes of netting them a spouse.
But over the weekend, a woman, dressed in a wedding gown and holding her American passport, caught the eye of many for the prize she was dangling U.S. citizenship.
Image: Weibo
Alas, she wasn’t for real.
The woman, has been identified as Erin Peisert, an American performance artist currently based in Shanghai.
In viral photos circulating on Weibo and Instagram, she’s shown holding up a sign saying “USA Citizenship through marriage to the highest bidder,” as she is surrounded by curious onlookers.
In a statement published on WeChat, the studio behind her work, Artless Studio, said that the work was meant to be a critique on marriage in China.
“‘Matchmaking’ is a marvel of our time, [and it is] witnessing the change in family values and views on marriage in the chaos of capitalism,” the studio said.
“Generational gaps, sexual tension and sexuality is apparent here, where the human core is tested.”
It posted a video montage of their performance art on WeChat, where you can see Peisert at the three-minute mark:
Here’s another wedding-themed performance that Peisert posted on Instagram this week:
People thought she was serious
In several offended posts that were circulating on Weibo, after the stunt, it’s clear that many thought that her offer was serious.
Image: NG YI SHU/Mashable
Some people really got into the details of a green card marriage:
Image: Ng Yi Shu/Mashable
CuteBoisterousMeow: “Stupid! Marrying a citizen, you’ll only get a green card that is valid for two years (a conditional permanent resident status) If you piss her off in two years, she can opt not to be your guarantor in your application for permanent resident status, and you’ll have to leave or become an undocumented immigrant.”
Others were offended that she suggested the U.S. was superior:
Image: Ng Yi shu/Mashable
SickBlackCharcoal: “I just want to know which places in the U.S. are better than Shanghai; a green card is probably easier to get than a Shanghai hukou (residency record), so you’re auctioning nothing.”
A year back, Sir Ian McKellen also made an appearance at the Shanghai marriage market. His stunt was in promotion of Shakespeare for the British Council.
Read more: http://mashable.com/2017/03/09/marriage-market-citizenship/
