A protest against tourism
A protest against tourism
Boudewijn Brands, Contributor, Yogyakarta
At Cemeti Art House, Yogyakarta, an exhibition by a well-known
Thai artist is currently running. What is there to protest
against?
Globalization, the negative impact of tourism, consumerism,
random killing and bombing could all be targeted.
Manit Sriwanichpoom is presenting a series of 13 photographs
taken in Bali during 2003, entitled Pink Man in Paradise.
Imagine a slightly overweight, middle-aged man in a pink,
fluorescent suit pushing an empty, pink shopping cart. In the
catalog it is explained that the starting point for these
photographs is the explosions that killed 202 people at a night
club on Oct. 12, 2002.
It is just one part of terrorism, the destruction part. The
reaction, however, is not one of taking care of these sick minds.
Trying to teach them that there are possibilities of having
different lifestyles that can still coexist peacefully together.
But what about the impact of tourism?
According to the explanation in the catalog, the artist wishes
to criticize consumerism, tourism and -- maybe -- globalization.
In the Netherlands we have an expression: "Unknown makes
unloved".
So, is tourism not an excellent opportunity to get to know how
others societies live, what kind of spiritual life they have,
what their surroundings look like?
Of course there are those who just come for shopping, the
weather, the sea or the food, but is that bad or an opportunity
within the service industry to employ people?
What Manit has done in this exhibition is to put the highly
contrasting figures in beautiful, sometimes majestic landscapes.
His Pink Man does not look at all destructive or materialistic.
The shopping cart looks more like a walking frame for the
elderly. It could also serve as an object to distract attention
from the man.
When viewing the pictures, the pink man does not look more or
less out of place than any other ordinary tourist, or local for
that matter. What is obvious, though, is that there are no
tourists in the photographs.
The effect of having a figure in such unnatural colors is that
the picture, which could otherwise be a calendar illustration,
contains a certain tension.
Through the contrast, the views and landscapes seem more
beautiful. If there is any relationship with the bombing -- as
the explanation in the catalog suggests -- it cannot be seen. On
the contrary, in spite of the bombing, Bali is otherwise
perfectly unaffected.
The only result subsequently was that, maybe, fewer tourists
came to these urbanized, "touristy" areas. Tourists with a real
interest in Bali can still see its splendor and appreciate the
people, the religion, the landscapes and what has been built
there.
I agree with Claire Armstrong who finishes her comment in the
catalog, stating: " ... but it is also a powerful reminder, to
all who live on the periphery, of the importance of maintaining
unique cultural traditions in this age of globalization". Bali is
successful in doing so -- that is what the pictures say.
"Pink Man in Paradise" photography exhibition by Manit
Sriwanichpoom in Cemeti Art House, Jl. Panjaitan 41, Yogyakarta
55143, tel. and fax (0274) 371015, until Sept. 30, 2004. Catalog
available, website: www.cemetiarthouse.com