George Akl
generation. was not merely a solo photographic exhibition, but a multifaceted observation in to the social and economic dynamics of the local seaside community of Lorne, Victoria.
Conceived from conversations with Anna Macaldowie, curator of In The Skies Gallery in Lorne, the exhibition aimed to stimulate a nuanced conversation about the far-reaching consequences of Airbnb on the cultural fabric of Lorne.
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The proliferation of Airbnb has led to a situation in which soaring housing prices have made it near impossible for generations of local residents to remain in their home community. Yet, as with many complex issues, the situation is not so easily reduced to a binary opposition.
For some, the influx of tourists through Airbnb has brought economic benefits to the community, though these gains come at a steep cost.
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Through the exhibition's 21 haunting images, the gallery space was transformed into a kind of living artifact, silently bearing witness to the generational loss that is at the heart of this issue.
The photographs were not intended to provoke controversy per se, but rather to quietly provoke reflection and dialogue about this pressing social conundrum.
Estries of Steel, Lorne Foreshore, 2022.
Giclee print on archival cotton paper.
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The photograph titled "Estries of Silver" captures a shower on Lorne Beach, serving as an example of human ingenuity in bringing freshwater to the saltwater realm.
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The shower stands as a symbol of our modern tendency towards purification and sanitization, representing the cultural issues currently being faced in Lorne.
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The striking resemblance of the shower to the monolith in the opening scene of 2001: A Space Odyssey highlights the thematic focus on the interrogation of cinematic memory.
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This playful subversion prompts one to reconsider the relationship with the environment and the technologies that shape it, prompting deeper reflection about all aspects of space.
Night lines of Coober Pedy, 2018.
-29.002686000813025, 134.76795829351366
Giclee print on archival cotton paper.
Tribes @ Lorne Foeshoe. 2022
38°32'24.8"S 143°58'33.
Giclee print on archival cotton paper.
Hazard, Aire River. 2021.
-38.802459, 143.478657
Giclee print on archival cotton paper.
Ghost Ship Lorne, 2022.
594mm x 841mm Giclee print on archival cotton paper.
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This photograph of a boat serves as a poignant symbol of the complex social dynamics at play in Lorne. On the one hand, the boat harks back to an era when the community's identity was inseparable from its fishing culture.
Yet on the other hand, the boat's wooden structure is a remnant of the old pier that was replaced by a sleek, modern structure, as if to signal a decisive break with the past.
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This transformation of the pier is not without its own irony, as the once-functional structure has been repurposed into a playground for children.
The fact that the play equipment is intended to engage local children, who may themselves be forced to leave the community due to the impact of Airbnb, spotlighting the sense of loss and displacement.
Beach Tent at St George's River. 2022.
38°33'17.9"S 143°58'35.2"E
Giclee print on archival cotton paper.
Wild Life Debris Thornbury, 2022
-37.757228, 145.010142
-37.756117, 145.010345
Giclee print on archival cotton paper.
Remenant Dwelling Found in a Carpark in YogYokarts. 2018
7°48'53.8"S 110°21'57.2"E
Giclee print on archival cotton paper.
Farmyard Kelpie in Darebin Laneways. 2022
37°45'10.7"S 145°00'07.8"E
Giclee print on archival cotton paper.
Middle Spur, April 8th, 2000. Otway Ranges. 2000
38°33'15.6"S 143°48'36.6"E
Giclee print on archival cotton paper.
Radio Active @ Coober Pedy. 2011
29°00'48.9"S 134°45'16.0"E
Giclee print on archival cotton paper.
Radioactive Exposure Tours, Friends of the Earth Web.
CAPS TITLE
Oonadatta. 2011
-27.549197, 135.447723
Giclee print on archival cotton paper.
Lake Munmorah . 2022
33°11'50.1"S 151°33'23.4"E
Giclee print on archival cotton paper.
Retirement @ Lake Munmorah. 2022
33°11'40.7"S 151°33'35.8"E
Giclee print on archival cotton paper.
Stampede @ Olympic Dam Hwy. 2012 30°28'40.1"S 136°53'21.5"E
Giclee print on archival cotton paper.
Promise of Sunshine @ Lorne Beach. 2022
38°32'28.3"S 143°58'36.0"E
Giclee print on archival cotton paper.
