FROM FREE HUGS TO FREE SEXRemember the "Free Hugs" viral thing? That handwritten sign on a piece of cardboard, held by someone standing in the middle of the street, hoping some brave soul would go in for a little spontaneous affection. It became a full-blown phenomenon a couple of decades ago—a simple, feel-good gesture that, at the time, actually felt kind of revolutionary.
It all started with the “Free Hugs” movement back in 2004 in Australia, when a guy named Juan Mann hit the streets with his sign, just looking for a bit of human connection. It didn’t take long for the video to blow up on YouTube and turn into a symbol of hope, empathy, and human closeness—at a time when the world was already getting lost in screens and fast-paced routines.
A lot has changed since then. And while the cardboard + message + spontaneity combo is still around, let’s just say it’s taken a few… interesting turns.
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DASHA & MARI 2K25Dasha and Mari are award-winning photographers and twin sisters from Kyiv, Ukraine, specializing in fashion, artistic nude, and psychological portraiture.
With an extensive career in the fashion industry, they have worked in major international capitals such as London, Paris, Milan, and Berlin. Their photographic work, deeply artistic and cinematic, stands out for its originality and storytelling through imagery. The prestigious HEARST magazine in the UK selected them to participate in its master's program in photography at Cambridge, UK.
In 2018, they earned their master’s degree from Kingston University, London.
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While some couples are capturing their wedding album with the Golden Gate in the background, just a few meters away…