Photo Exhibition “Not Just Labor; Migrant Photo Voices from Thailand’s Fisheries”
September 28 @ 11:00 am - October 27 @ 7:00 pm
Globally, trade in fish products continues to reach record highs, and developing countries now contribute over half of the value of total exports. Within this expanding world market, Thailand has emerged as a major supplier, with the value of its seafood exports reaching US$6 billion in recent years. A significant contribution to the industry’s growth is given by the migrant labor force. Shortages of Thai workers willing to work on fishing vessels, emerging simultaneously with expanding structural differences in population demographics and economic development between Thailand and its neighboring countries, have transformed fishing crews to predominantly consist of migrant workers from Cambodia and Myanmar. Several hundred thousand women and men migrant workers are now employed at different levels within the seafood supply chain in Thailand, working precariously under various temporary labor migration regimes and constrained living and work conditions.
Recognizing the contribution of migrant workers to Thai’s society and the blue economy, the exhibition “Not Just Labor; Migrant Photo Voices from Thailand Fisheries” gives them a platform to showcase their photo voices. The display consists of photos taken on their mobile phone by migrants from Cambodia and Myanmar, who are now living in Phuket, Phang Nga and Chanthaburi to work in the fishing and seafood industry.
The displayed photo-stories capture the migrant’s overall day-to-day existence full of taxing, entertaining or simply mundane events, of interaction with their natural and social surroundings, and of dreams and expectations about the future. The message the photo voices (and the exhibition’s title) convey, is that migrants are more than just labor and more than the sum of the difficulties and exploitation endured. Against the dehumanized portrayal of migrants as faceless ‘others’, this exhibition celebrates their identity, agency, personality and other features of our shared humanity. Moreover the exhibition show that migrant lives have become interconnected with the larger Thai society demanding more suitable integration policies for migrants. This comprehensive appreciation of migrants’ experiences and aspirations, is essential to create an inclusive and more equitable society that upholds everyone’s human dignity.
The exhibition, curated by Sayan Chuenudomsavad, Rosalia Scortino and Chawin Chantalikit and organized by SEA Junction with support of the International Labour Organization (ILO)’s Ship to Shore Rights South East Asia initiative funded by the European Union was first exhibited this May at the 4th Floor Curved Wall at Bangkok Art and Culture Centre (BACC), then moved at the Bangkok United Nations Conference Centre as part of the 12th University Scholars Leadership Symposium organized by UNESCAP last August and now the presented to the public eyes again at the BACC pop•up, Gallery 1 at Mun Mun Art Destination (MMAD), 3rd floor, Seacon Square Srinakarin 28 September to 27 October.
For more information, please email: info@seajunction.org or phone/wa: +66970024140
Organizers:
SEA Junction, established under the Thai non-profit organization Foundation for Southeast Asia Studies (ForSEA), aims to foster understanding and appreciation of Southeast Asia in all its socio-cultural dimensions, from arts and lifestyles to economy and development. Conveniently located at Room 407-8 of the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre or BACC, SEA Junction facilitates public access to knowledge resources and exchanges among students, practitioners and Southeast Asia lovers. For more information, see www.seajunction.org, join the Facebook group: http://www.facebook.com/groups/1693058870976440/ and follow us on Twitter and Instagram @seajunction
Ship to Shore Rights South East Asia is a multi-country, multi-annual initiative of the European Union (EU) and the United Nations (UN), implemented by the International Labour Organization (ILO) in collaboration with International Organization for Migration (IOM) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Its overriding objective is to promote regular and safe labour migration and decent work for all migrant workers in the fishing and seafood processing sectors in South East Asia. More information, see https://shiptoshorerights.org/.
International Labour Organization (ILO) is a United Nations agency whose mandate is to advance social and economic justice through setting international labour standards. More information, see https://www.ilo.org/.
Bangkok Art and Culture Centre (BACC) has been providing the City of Bangkok with an art meeting place for the past 15 years, reaching out to people with its highly varied exhibitions, and diverse arts and educational programming. The BACC sees further needs for making available more of such art space in the city other than the one centrally located. Now teaming up with Seacon Square, such venture is happening: a space for dialogue between artists and audiences and communities all round, promoting art to become part of everyday life for people of all generations, in this case specifically for the people living on the eastern side of Bangkok. BACC pop×up is located at MMAD floor 2nd and 3rd Srinakarin. For more information, see https://en.bacc.or.th/.
