All inclusive: die Welt des Tourismus

This entertaining and often hilarious exhibition catalog from Schirn Kunsthalle Frankfurt is a thought‑provoking exploration of our global society through the tourist experience. The curators see tourism as something that perpetuates clichés about cultural and national identity; real landscapes blur into artificial geographies like ski resort‑themed water parks, indoor beaches with synthetic sun lamps, or aircraft carriers equipped with roller coasters and volcanoes. More than 30 artists create photography, multimedia installations, sculpture and prose travelogues that veer between the authentic and the absurd, attempting to answer the question: how should tourists interact with the bogus world of tourists, and what should they learn? The exhibition was held from 30 January till 4 May, 2008.