Travel in the Meta Far-East, article published in the magazine Art Republik

The Evolution of the “Far East” Through Travel and Art

The article traces the evolution of the concept of the “Far East” from a romanticized travel destination to a complex, multicultural identity. It begins with a personal reflection on how a vintage photo album of a French tea producer’s journey to Vietnam sparked a feeling of authentic travel, a sensation lost in modern, routine air travel. This sentiment is contrasted with the early travelogue of Goethe’s “Italian Journey,” which valued personal experience over fictional accounts.

The summary then highlights how the idea of the “Far East” was largely a European construction. Marco Polo’s tales fueled the Age of Discovery, while geographer Philippe Pelletier argues the concept was “an invention of the West.” This Eurocentric view was further solidified by the 19th-century rise of mass tourism and photography, which gave birth to Orientalism. This movement, often used to justify colonization, presented exotic, staged images of native peoples in magazines and universal exhibitions.

A turning point is introduced with the “cultural loopback” created by the first generation of bi-cultural Vietnamese artists living in France. Figures like writer Pham Duy Khiem and photographer Khanh Ky used their French education and tools to express their Vietnamese roots, challenging the Western-imposed image of their homeland. Their work provided an authentic “feedback” to French culture, creating a new, integrated identity between the two nations.

Finally, the text concludes by proposing a new concept: the “Meta Far East.” This term describes the region’s current complexity, shaped by a global Vietnamese diaspora and a multitude of interconnected stories. To capture this reality, a new “camera”—a collective and multi-dimensional approach of research, dialogue, and collaboration—is needed to replace the simplistic, old-fashioned views of the past. The goal is to recapture the deep, meaningful sense of discovery and time that defines true travel.

Please read the full article by ordering the printed magazine at the website of ArtRepublik Vietnam