Project French Polynesia

My new obsession is the French Polynesia.  I've decided it is the perfect place to do my intensive project due to the extreme impact global warming and tourism is causing on the islands as well as the tensions they have with France.  It is still part of France and even though the Polynesian people want to be sovereign nation, they are dependent on French subsidies which the French still provide as an "I'm sorry we used your country as a nuclear test site 210 times".

 There is also the love/ hate with tourism due to the large number of exclusive resorts that are owned by international companies that don't allow much profit for the Polynesian people and destroy the fragile eco system.  

 Due to the isolation of the islands, many people travel here to live out their explorer or Robinson Crusoe fantasies.  

 For my project, I am going to travel to the French Polynesia and act as an anthropologist by collecting notes, photographs, as well as stay with and interview the residents of the islands.  By doing this I am exploring the idea of continued colonialism and how it is not only played out through government but also through tourism. 

 I am excited to see how the google images and vacation brochures I collect before hand plays off of the information I collect by going off of the tourist track.

 My collected information will become a low-res magazine that will expand upon and reference the body of work that I create around this project.

 so excited :)