My next stop after Epcot Center was Holy Land Experience, which also resides in the curious city of Orlando, Florida. The place strives to bring Biblical times to life through an interactive world with false walls painted in the style of ancient Roman architecture, and the occasional costumed Jesus. The Experience features a daily Passion Play depicting the life and times of Jesus Christ, guest speakers, and a historical tour among other attractions. While it was quite a grand display, this stop sparked my interest in all the little cracks in the facade. These places are built to be this sensory experience where you can immerse yourself into another place or time, but all the little hints and reminders of the false identity are still all around.
While new in many ways, this project builds on an idea that has always interested me. My ongoing piece, ‘My Waking Life’, states that the same surreal fantastical images that we find in our dream life can be found all around us if we simply stop and look. This new project reverses that idea in a sense and looks at the physical manifestations of our dreams and imagination created in tangible form.
Read more about this new project in the first post here.
more to come…
August Kryger
June 16th, 2010, 11:05 am #
I think the buddy christ one is my fave. Good work.
David Walter Banks
June 16th, 2010, 11:57 am #
Thanks August – Isn’t he just so inviting. I think Buddy Christ may have to be the name of that print now.
Luanne Dietz
June 16th, 2010, 12:38 pm #
Was this in honor of me
lol
Josh Anderson
June 16th, 2010, 1:56 pm #
Hey man. I really like the idea behind this project. It is interesting exploring the ideas of false realities and why they exist. The difference between the reasons for a place like Epcot International to be attractive to people and the Holy Land Experience. I think it is also interesting to see how people capitalize off of those interests. I love the guy with the blue Jesus shirt in that first photo. It’s also interesting to think about how the U.S. interprets these kinds of realities and presents them at a place like Epcot or where ever, like, would a French person really like the French food at Epcot, and would an American who has never actually been to France even know the difference? The photos look bangin so far. Cant wait to see where else the project takes you!
Josh Anderson
June 16th, 2010, 1:59 pm #
I think I said interesting about 20 times just then………interesting…….
David Walter Banks
June 16th, 2010, 2:17 pm #
Hey Josh, that’s ‘interesting’ you mention the part about what these countries would think about their ‘Disney’ counterparts. I can’t speak for each pavilion, but the Moroccan one in particular was built entirely by Moroccan workers with tiles and materials imported from Morocco. So the story goes from the Moroccan employee I spoke with, their King was on a visit to the States when he heard that Epcot was underway, and he insisted that if there was to be a representation of Morocco, then he would send over the materials and the workers to build it. Pretty cool.
Disney also has a ‘Cultural Representative Program’ which is composed of exchange students who help share their customs and cultures with the tourists while living and working there for a year.
I don’t think Holy Land Experience is importing real ancient Romans, but I did spot a Historian I think – didn’t much like him though, since he wouldn’t let me take photos on his guided tour through time. A little too grumpy for my taste.
Jon
June 17th, 2010, 2:00 pm #
Awesome project. Can’t wait to see more!