PORTRAITS OF A MAN IN HABITS (Thailand, 2003)

Thailand has a reputation for being open to all sorts of lifestyles. To be admitted to Buddhism, one need only answer the question, ‘Are you human?’ The question refers to a myth in which a snake god disguises himself as a man. Presently the question is used chiefly to exclude the lame, mentally ill and homosexuals. Michael Shaowanasai tested this by photographing himself made up as a Buddhist monk. The result was a heated outcry. Buddhists tried to block the exhibition, and Shaowanasai responded by showing the photograph rolled up. Subsequently he made a photograph of himself as someone who had just left the monkhood. According to the artist, the attitude of Buddhists is all the more hypocritical because closeted homosexual monks are much sought after for designing temples and organizing funerals in Thailand, because of their refined taste.