Global Tour at W 139: Tourism as Imperialism

Global Tour, a collective exhibition curated by Amiel Grumberg before his 2004 suicide in the Netherlands, was posthumously realized at Espace W 139 in Amsterdam from December 17 to January 22, 2006. The show critiques tourism as a form of contemporary imperialism, echoing Francesco Clemente's distinction between economic migrants and tourists. Featuring around twenty artists, including Hong Ha, Coco Fusco, Meschac Gaba, Jota Castro, and Gérald, the exhibition presents tourism as a soft but effective weapon of economic-cultural domination. Hong Ha's photographs depict China ravaged by tourist invasion; Coco Fusco's video and performance expose indigenous peoples as spectacle; Meschac Gaba's textile copies of global landmarks like the Guggenheim Museum and Chrysler Building critique folkloric markets; Jota Castro's performance in Istanbul involves Italian students singing Beethoven's Ode to Joy, highlighting Turkey's exclusion from the EU. Gérald's travel diaries, shown in a geography cabinet style, offer an alternative: traveling by bicycle, learning local languages, and respecting the Other. The exhibition was made possible by W 139's generosity and the artists' commitment to Grumberg's original vision.