Saturday, September 1, 2007
Learn Foreign Culture through Art
By Phuttan MahawanAside from the stereo-typed package tourists who are mostly concerned with the quality of their accommodation and the food they are served at their destination, most people who make the effort to travel to a far-away country clearly have one goal in common: they want to get to know the people and culture of that foreign country.
Sounds fairly simple, doesn’t it? Isn’t it a given that once we travel to another country, we automatically get to know its people, their traditions and thereby their culture? Well, not necessarily. In fact, the more the world-wide travel industry develops and local entrepreneurs learn how to please foreigners by (ironically) catering to them what they are already used to from their home countries, the less it is likely that we get to know the ‘real’ local people in a foreign country. This is because most people working in tourism-related businesses, be it hotels, restaurants or other places that travelers usually frequent during their trips are trained to behave in a way to please their foreign guests. This is by itself nothing bad at all. However, it decreases the likelihood that travelers actually get to know the genuine people behind the ‘masques’ those people have to put on everyday in their dealing with foreign guests. Unless we get to know the ‘real’ people, how are we supposed to get to know their culture?
One of the best ways to do so is through arts. That is because local artists typically express their emotions and inner values – which are to a large extent based on their cultural beliefs - through their artwork in an undisguised and sincere way. Their works may be completely different in style, technique and themes, but they usually have some traditional features in common, which have their roots in the culture and society the artists were brought up in. Therefore, by looking at locally created artwork and talking to the respective artists, one can indeed get to know some important and genuine aspects of a foreign country’s culture. Best of all, this opportunity usually comes without great expenses, since most artists will be happy to open up their portfolio of works to interested people and talk about it in great length.
A good example in this regard is the art scene in Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand. Chiang Mai being a favorite destination for tourists from all over the world for its charm and beautiful natural settings, it is - like many places in Thailand – a city focused on and well trained in catering to foreign tourists. Hence, by visiting this place, one will probably not get to know the ‘real’ Northern Thai culture. Visiting one of the numerous art galleries and artists in the city, though, will likely open up new perspectives about this place and its people to most foreign visitors - perspectives that are not easily found in any guide book. One added benefit is that this can be done throughout the whole year, irrespective of the season and weather conditions. A guide to local art galleries and artists is available at ‘Golden Triangle Art’.
Art is not only good for our senses, but it may be one of the best ways to learn more about the people, culture and beliefs of a foreign country. Even if there is only limited time available, the time spent with art is time well spent.
Sounds fairly simple, doesn’t it? Isn’t it a given that once we travel to another country, we automatically get to know its people, their traditions and thereby their culture? Well, not necessarily. In fact, the more the world-wide travel industry develops and local entrepreneurs learn how to please foreigners by (ironically) catering to them what they are already used to from their home countries, the less it is likely that we get to know the ‘real’ local people in a foreign country. This is because most people working in tourism-related businesses, be it hotels, restaurants or other places that travelers usually frequent during their trips are trained to behave in a way to please their foreign guests. This is by itself nothing bad at all. However, it decreases the likelihood that travelers actually get to know the genuine people behind the ‘masques’ those people have to put on everyday in their dealing with foreign guests. Unless we get to know the ‘real’ people, how are we supposed to get to know their culture?
One of the best ways to do so is through arts. That is because local artists typically express their emotions and inner values – which are to a large extent based on their cultural beliefs - through their artwork in an undisguised and sincere way. Their works may be completely different in style, technique and themes, but they usually have some traditional features in common, which have their roots in the culture and society the artists were brought up in. Therefore, by looking at locally created artwork and talking to the respective artists, one can indeed get to know some important and genuine aspects of a foreign country’s culture. Best of all, this opportunity usually comes without great expenses, since most artists will be happy to open up their portfolio of works to interested people and talk about it in great length.
A good example in this regard is the art scene in Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand. Chiang Mai being a favorite destination for tourists from all over the world for its charm and beautiful natural settings, it is - like many places in Thailand – a city focused on and well trained in catering to foreign tourists. Hence, by visiting this place, one will probably not get to know the ‘real’ Northern Thai culture. Visiting one of the numerous art galleries and artists in the city, though, will likely open up new perspectives about this place and its people to most foreign visitors - perspectives that are not easily found in any guide book. One added benefit is that this can be done throughout the whole year, irrespective of the season and weather conditions. A guide to local art galleries and artists is available at ‘Golden Triangle Art’.
Art is not only good for our senses, but it may be one of the best ways to learn more about the people, culture and beliefs of a foreign country. Even if there is only limited time available, the time spent with art is time well spent.
Phuttan Mahawan is co-editor at Golden Triangle Art -a website dedicated to the promotion of contemporary art and artists from Thailand, Myanmar and Laos, the countries of the 'Golden Triangle' on the Mekong river in Southeast Asia. Find out about local artists and their artwork, art galleries and art News & Exhibitions in Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai in Northern Thailand. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Phuttan_Mahawan
by Camille Viajero at 3:53 PM |
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