HOME WORK (Vietnam, 2006-2008)
About three-quarters of the population of Vietnam live in, and from, the countryside. But because of the explosive growth of the capital Hanoi – which counts over six million residents – the avail-ability of land for agricultural purposes around the metropolis is under pressure. Farmers seek to capitalise on this trend by no longer engaging in classic agriculture, but in the production of goods such as baskets, textile, palm hats and toy animals. The ‘crafts villages’ this creates are a crossroads for agriculture and industry, the rural and urban. Tessa Bunney spent over a year in the area and portrayed the everyday life of the badly paid workers. Her colourful images have a dark undertone, because the economic growth and increasing production also contribute to pollution, and threaten traditions.Cao, a village making incense.
