A video installation with two projectors and a small photo exhibition within one space. The installation documents a playful yet critical social experiment examining the slavish obsequiousness with which senior functionaries are treated. Po Po just places signs saying ‘VIP’ by bus stops and secretly photographs the reactions of the passengers. In totalitarian countries like Burma, people don’t have much choice about how to behave toward their superiors, but now that the country is becoming freer, that may also change. The artist tried the experiment in Burma and Bangladesh. In such countries, the phenomenon of a VIP does of course have a different meaning. If you refuse to give up your seat in a plane or even a bus, that can have serious consequences. The region where Po Po grew up has more countries with authoritarian governments; think of Vietnam, Thailand and Singapore. He is accordingly planning to continue his project for a while.
