Exhibition puts tourism under the microscope<\/p>\n
By Tjahjono Ep.<\/p>\n
YOGYAKARTA (JP): It was a quiet morning at Via-via cafe on Jl.
\nParangtritis. Several employees busied themselves preparing meals
\nprobably ordered by foreign tourists a day or two before.<\/p>\n
A woman looked at a photobox created by J. Ulis, a 28-year-old
\nstudent from the Indonesian Art Institute in Yogyakarta. She
\nsmiled, shook her head and went back to her seat for breakfast.<\/p>\n
The cafe, which is popular among Western tourists visiting the
\nancient city, is hosting a photobox exhibition with the odd title
\nPhotobox -- Danger, Hot Air. Opened on Jan. 10, the show will run
\nfor three months at the cafe on Jl. Prawirotaman 24B, Yogyakarta.<\/p>\n
Tourism is the main theme, raising the dialectic of an
\nindustry so often obscured by financial concerns. All six works
\non display focus on human realities in tourism.<\/p>\n
Ulis said he was inspired by the fact that tourism has always
\nbeen dominated by organizers' greed for money and that its
\nsuccess is usually measured in terms of profits.<\/p>\n
He believed tourist authorities and the public alike treat
\nforeign tourists as "economic commodities", and they are spoilt
\nwith cultural exoticism.<\/p>\n
In Ulis' view, everyone is a "tourist" when moving from one
\nplace to another, regardless of the distance. The movement has
\ncultural implications because of the contact experienced in the
\njourney from one community to another, culturally different one.<\/p>\n
He illustrates his view in a photobox in which three foreign
\ntourists happily riding bikes wave at three bulls. Two of the
\nbulls with sensual lips respond with a smile, and the other does
\nnot care.<\/p>\n
Another work shows an indigenous child lying on a bottle of
\nimported insect repellent. The child look down with amazement at
\na middle-aged tourist carrying a similar bottle.<\/p>\n
In another, a foreign tourist uses a bunch of twigs to beat
\nanother tourist who is naked. Another two tourists cry: "Danger,
\nhot air."<\/p>\n
Ulis also tells of the young women venture abroad for
\nemployment, with titles like Mother pray for my journey, My life
\nbehind the wheel and Your job, go on business, go home because
\nhomesick.<\/p>\n
The show is unique on several counts. Held at a cafe belonging
\nto Belgian Mie Cornoedus, all the works are packed with cultural
\ncriticism. In Via-via cafe, defined by the typical architecture
\nof a tropical house, a cultural dialectic takes place between the
\nindigenous Ulis and the Western tourists who visit every day.<\/p>\n
Ulis shows an innovative way of presenting his artistic
\ncreations. His six photoboxes are presented in collage. The
\nphotographs printed on orthofilm are collaged on transparent mica
\nand bathed in neon light from the opposite direction.<\/p>\n
It is a breakthrough in presenting photographs. By
\nmanipulating composition and the shape of objects, the pictures
\nare highly eye-catching.<\/p>\n
The technique is widely used in picture manipulation for the
\nadvertising industry. Ulis, a promising artist from West
\nKalimantan, adopts the innovation for high quality works of art.<\/p>\n
However, Ulis still sticks to the conventional and has yet to
\nmove onto further experimentation.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/exhibition-puts-tourism-under-the-microscope-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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