I don’t know why, but I always find striking examples of modern art in Savannakhet. Of course, every place is special, but I especially like Savannakhet. She hasn’t sold her soul to tourism and without any pretty attractions like waterfalls, caves or ancient temples, she has to be sincere to be liked. I think people are nice.
I was reading about the Edinburgh Festival. Maybe creativity is at its best when it is uninvited. The fringe can only happen when the center doesn’t rule all. In Luang Prabang, tourism reigns and any fringe effect would only look staged. Vientiane prides itself on being the capital and I could imagine anything fringy being dismissed as weird. Laos needs a creative center. There’s no sign of it in Savannakhet, but I wonder why I’m so sure it can happen here.
There’s a crumbly French colonial section with lots of empty buildings. There are a couple 60s modernism buildings, one a movie theatre and another unknown in original intent, but spectacular. There are some holes where buildings have been torn down, but for the moment, two spotlights on the chipped wall, a cello or a khaen and you’ve got an outdoor concert. Traffic is not yet the primary soundscape in Savannakhet.
This section of town is only quiet and theatrical because it is neglected. I don’t know how long it will last. If the city gave free residence to 50 artists, Laos would have its creative heart to beat. Imagine performance art on a grand scale. Imagine a city where everyone used sign language. I get startled sometimes when I see people unconsciously using recognizable signs as they speak and gesture. The beggar woman was signing “eat”. When I approached the check-in counter at the airport, the woman signed, “Good day”. How could this be? She said I had taught her the day before in a classroom visit.
When we talk about learning, it is startling when something is observed, shared, remembered and recreated. This is what language learning is really supposed to be about. I’ll be back in Savannakhet to try to make this happen.
