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» 05.-16.05.2010 _ IDENTITY CRISIS
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posted by: spy on May 15th, 2010 | ART
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| IDENTITY CRISIS by OHM PHANPHIROJ
PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBITION _ MAY 05. - 16. _ 2010
KOLBHALLE _ Köln-Ehrenfeld _ Helmholtzstr. 8-32
ARTIST STATEMENT _ IDENTITY CRISIS :: TRANSSEXUAL SERIES
According to a recent survey, there are between 10,000 and 100,000 transsexuals living in Thailand, including a number of singers, television and movie stars. Transsexuals are integrated into the urban and rural scene and are not singled out for abusive treatment in the course of their daily lives. Thailand`s first sex change surgery was performed in 1972, and the country now sees more of these procedures performed each year than any other country in the world. In recent years gay youths in Thailand, some as young as 12, have taken the extreme measure to identify themselves as women by having their testicles removed and taking female hormones in preparation for an operation to become female. The situation has generated much criticism and debate regarding legal issues and society`s responsibility toward these young men. The number of transsexuals and their identity crisis is increasing, raising questions about culture, the media, and the general perception of transsexuals in Thailand, and around the world.
Significance of the project :: As an artist, I have always been interested in understanding human behavior, especially the behavior of individuals or groups who are misunderstood, and therefore denigrated and marginalized by society at large. Many of these individuals possess uncommon characteristics and, if better understood, would be more accepted for their lifestyle choices.
Identity Crisis: Transsexual seeks to understand Thailand`s transsexuals from a fresh perspective. I want to approach this subject in a different and more complex way than in any of my past work. To date, there has been no single project focusing exclusively on these transsexuals. While artists who have documented this group have found transsexuals visually intriguing, these transsexuals have been viewed and photographed exclusively as examples of isolated exotica. Identity Crisis: Transsexual signifies something far different for me personally and as a photographer. The complexity of being transsexual in Thai society and the lives these individuals lead goes far beyond exotic imagery. My goal is to present transsexuals as psychologically complex human-beings and to allow them to reveal the reality of their self-identification. | |
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