According to Herman Pollig, who made a number of exhibitions about exoticism under the header “Exotic worlds, European fantasies”, exoticism gets in the way of an objective understanding of alien cultures. It confirms and reproduces deep-rooted stereotypes and representations, creates dream worlds which influence our perspective, making us see things the way we want to see them. Exoticism as intercultural counterfeiting. Is exoticism a projection mechanism for repressed fears and longings? Might exotic objects be perceived both as documents of barbarism and documents of culture. Do exoticism and racism shoot off the same stock? Might exoticism provoke the revelation of its own caricature? Is it fundamentally possible to move beyond exoticism? Part of the BRT (Belgian radio and television broadcast network) television series ’Container’. Paneldiscussion with Lieven De Cauter, Eddy Stols, Paul Vandenbroeck and Bart Verschaffel.

Original broadcast date: 05/10/1989
 
Content:
00’00" Theme of the broadcast : exoticism. Presentation : Lieven de Cauter and Bart Verschaffel. Guests : Eddy Stole (historian), Paul Van Den Broeck (art historian). Discussion concerning the fascination exerted by non-Western cultures and their influence on European art ; their rejection, as expressed in racism. Alternating with illustrations (engravings, drawings, photographs...). 57’26"
(Source: Jef Cornelis 1964 - 1990, Espace Art Contemporain : Maison de la culture et de la Communication de Saint-Etienne, 1991)