uncomfortable viewing on a comfy sofa at the Chapter Arts Centre in Cardiff
watching most of Renzo Marten's 90 minute film
this squirm-inducing video shows the artist as protagonist in this documentary style footage of plantation workers in Malawi, a world bank conference Q&A session about donations to the country, interviews with local doctors on the health of employed plantation workers in contrast to those without work but living off the land.
Tongue-in-cheek to some, narcissistic to others, Marten keeps himself centre stage occasionally playing preaching colonial missionary, patronising outsider, telling locals how they can make more money by embracing their poverty and seeing it as a commodity they can and should own and exploit.
The footage also shows western photographers in the act of shooting footage or corpses and gets them to reflect out loud on who is the owner of their images. They are, they are paid for them, but the passive misery of the dead gains the locals nothing.
Somehow most shocking was how the global 'humanitarian' institution of the UN helps the peace in areas so that multinationals can come into an area, exploit the local and natural resources and leave again.
The tourism of misery, black humour and sobering thoughts presented in a watchable familiar format that pitted the viewed against the artist putting himself at the centre. Any judgements about him were washed away by the undeniably poignant and clever message that his work portrayed.
Rest of the works seem to pale in comparison. No pun intended.
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