Couple in a Cage

We watched a video in class called "Couple in a Cage." It was about an art exhibit that took place in museums around the world. The exhibit showcased "aboriginals" from a remote jungle culture on an island off the coast of the Yucatan Penninsula in Mexico. The characters (I say characters because the aboriginals were actors) were dressed similar to what I would call a mix between Geronimo and Billy Idol. Just watch the video if you can find it. I had it on here, but now it seems to be unavailable to the public on youtube. If you can find it, send me a message. The artist is Coco Fusco.

My first reaction was, holy crap, how could anyone possibly think this was real, but so many people who saw it thought the people were actually real natives of the Mexican Island. It was a cool exhibit though, and very powerful I think. I liked how there were different elements to the piece. Participants included the artists who are also the actors, the exhibit guides, and the people who paid to see the actors do stuff for money and take photos with the characters. Then there are the viewers. It was interesting to see the different reactions to the piece. Some were offended, some believed it to be true, and others were ashamed of being culturally related to those who didn't get it. All in all, I liked the piece and the way it was presented. The video, I think, does a good job of putting the issue in focus, and the interactivity is key in the piece because it takes it to a more powerful level.

Here's a wikipedia page on Coco Fusco. Again, sorry about the video. You should really try to find it somewhere to watch it, it's very moving.