New York in Las Vegas. Did you ever stop and think about the cultural ramifications of this while zig-zaging among casinos along the strip?
One creative couple has spent a large portion of their career devoted to observing representations of this concept, which they call The Transportation of Place. The term, used by Andrea Robbins and Max Becher, describes what they define as “situations in which one limited or isolated place strongly resembles another distant one.” This surreal nonfiction book examines the placement of locations and explores questions surrounding globalization, tourism and cultural identity.
The body of work this artsy duo has created can be seen in museums and private collections around the world. And the most recent exhibit of this theme opened just last week at the French Institute in New York. Location Dislocation looks at contradictions — where a culture or place has been copied and relocated. For example: Germans who dress as Native Americans or an American chain store in the French countryside. The images are meant to challenge our notions of place, and question, among other things, why non-authentic locations seem to be accepted as genuine locales.