From Myanmar... with Love - Project (video+photo+answers)

The project is a work of 60 days, in 4 cities of the country and of 100 Myanmar people:

“What is the meaning of love?”.

“The first thing I’ve noticed living in Yangon, is the kindness and warmness of the people. Walking around the streets of Myanmar they were smiling to me, they were open and helpful, kids were laughing and around the parks and the lakes couples were enjoying the day.

This was the motivation for me to ask them “what is love?”.

Among 100 answers one thing was common:

Love is kindness, love is giving, love is understanding…

The project: «From Myanmar… with Love»

The process: The project is a work of 60 days, in 4 cities of the country and of 100 Myanmar people:

“What is the meaning of love?” (Yangon, Bagan, Inle Lake, Mandalay)

The aim: The project has both social and cultural interest because it conveys the impact of religion, ethics and social values in each society and community. Additionally, it highlights the cultural differences between several areas in a country through the diversity of answers.

Points: 

• Younger people use number “528” to symbolize the family love and number “1500” to symbolize love between partners. Numbers are related to Buddha’s teachings.
• In Myanmar language, there are two words for “Love”. The word pronounced “achi” is used to referred for love between couples and the word that describes parents love pronounced “mitta”
• Many answers in my question referred to mind love rather than to spontaneous love

«If you build love with heart that will be heart you. If you built it with your mind it will be nice with you».

• Many young people answered that they don’t want to love, referred to marriage as well, because they have to take care their parents. Common more in the province, in poor areas.
• Almost all the people I approached show me their hospitality and their kindness. Monks offered me tea, grapes, teachers opened the home to talk with me and an elder monk in a pagoda told me at the end…

And when a young girl asked me “What about you, what is the meaning of Love for you?” it was then when I realize that … 

«After all, Love is Life, without Life there is no Love and without Love there is no Life».

On December 3, 2014, a photography exhibition was held where the proceeds were donated to a local institution offering courses to homeless children.

The project is awarded by International X- Edition Florence Biennale, the international art case for contemporary art, (Italy 2015)  gaining the 1st Award in the category of Video Art.

It has been exhibited in Yangon, Myanmar 2014 and in 2016 in Goethe Institute.