About the Exhibit
Joiri Minaya’s video Labadee explores the social and economic dynamics at play in Labadee, Haiti, on a private beach leased to Royal Caribbean cruise lines until 2050. Connecting the Caribbean tourism industry with the legacy of invasion and colonization, the video begins with passages from Christopher Columbus’s diary recounting his arrival in the New World that transition seamlessly into a description of a contemporary visit to Labadee. There, a wall separates the tourists from the locals; the only Haitians allowed on the beach are those employed by the resort or who pay a fee to sell goods or perform. Minaya’s footage from Labadee reveals the exploitation, exoticization, controlled access, and inequality central to tourism—a system that is far from “all-inclusive.”
Organized by Claire Howard, Assistant Curator, Modern and Contemporary Art, Blanton Museum of Art
Trailer
Labadee trailer (1 min) from Joiri Minaya on Vimeo.
Installation Photography
Past Programs
Credit
The Film & Video Gallery is organized by the Blanton Museum of Art.
Major funding is provided by Jeanne and Michael Klein.
Press
Image Credit
Joiri Minaya, Labadee (still), 2017, HD video, 7 min 10 secImage courtesy of the artist