New Gallery: Batticaloa Fences

[springm]

This is the teaser image of my new, small gallery "Batticaloa Fences".

Batticaloa is a town on the east coast of Sri Lanka, that was severely hit by the tsunami of 2004, when approx. 2600 inhabitants lost their lives. The civil war in Sri Lanka had above all contributed over almost 30 years to keep this Tamil part of the country poor. I had visited this place already before the tsunami and was happy to come back many times, in charge of rebuilding and technology transfer projects. All those visits I used also for photography. The collection of fences forms a small but thematically consistent part of my photographic yield.

The fences in Sri Lanka have not only the function to protect the property, but are enhance with blinds approx. at eye level, to give the inhabitants some more privacy. For these blinds different materials are used.

Enjoy - Markus

[Dr. Harout]

Nice series Markus and welcome back.
I am not surprised to see such fences, which themselves speak about a pour people.
Sad story but yet powerful meaning.

[Birma]

Hi Markus. Nice to see more of your travels through pictures . When I first read your post I thought that "fence" must have a different meaning! What an interesting set of images. Thanks for sharing.

[springm]

@Dr. Harout, Birma: Thanks for the warm re-welcome. I am glad you enjoyed the images - however I don't know if "enjoy" is really the right word here.
We certainly can't close our eyes in front of the poverty shining through this pictures. Yet there is a certain beauty of forms also coming through, and this antagonism makes these photographs so interesting, captiving for me.

Markus

[Dr. Harout]

I must say that not only poverty and fences go on a par, but also refugees too (Impoverished ones). Sadly...

[aster]

Hello Markus,

That strong sense of pride in all human being, which won't tolerate any pityful, prying eye onto its private survival efforts and premises..!

Good ones, Markus.

Thanks for sharing,

Yildiz

[springm]

Yildiz, in a certain way this behaviour is understandable, as a lot of daily life happens outside of house or hut, including the washing/showering. And Sri Lanka is (for western eyes) an extremely prudish country: you can get arrested for nothing but a kiss in public.,, That's the reason why you see so many couples at the beach are sitting under an umbrella btw.

[springm]

... not only poverty and fences go on a par, but also refugees too ...

Yes, and Sri Lanka still has hundred thousands of refugees, with the situation only slowly improving...

Add to this the necessity to protect religious symbols with a fence, like the Vesak lanterns here:



... and you get the feeling that you might make a fortune as a barbed wire producer in Sri Lanka.

Markus