Off-screen Bali
Bali 2010-2011
Focusing my lens on the everyday realities ignored by tourist circuits, I composed under the anagram of "Arnaud de Lexières" a striking panorama of a hidden Bali, at odds with its image as a mythical destination​.








Bali, the Island of the Gods
Bali is known as the Island of the Gods. It is also the island of a generous people, whose profound spirituality and extraordinary artistic expression are matched by their remarkable tolerance. Rooted in a unique Hindu culture within Indonesia and aware of the incredible allure of their abundant resources, the Balinese have always eagerly shared the riches of their island.
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Renowned for its legendary waves and the perfection of its craftsmanship, for its breathtaking terraced rice fields and its vibrant nightlife, Bali has, within a few decades, become the quintessential tourist destination. With openness and adaptability seen as natural necessities, the island has welcomed people of all ages and backgrounds. Without ever losing its identity, it has gracefully embraced the tastes and values of a globalized population, which returns in ever-growing numbers to enjoy its charms.
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Yet behind this dazzling postcard image lies another face of the island, visible to those who look beyond the surface. It is a world overshadowed by tourism, which, through its explosive growth, has disrupted the island's urban, economic, and ecological realities. What was once a microcosm cradled by the gods has now become the stage for an improvised play, where international actors vie for the spoils of a paradise lost.
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Swept up in an overwhelming dynamic, Bali has become dependent on its own growth. Vulnerable to macroeconomic or politico-religious upheavals, the island is most at risk from tourism itself, whose more or less direct consequences are starkly visible: economic disparities, rampant pollution, chaotic urban development, and, in the long term, the unraveling of its social fabric. Despite this, Bali still plays the card of a mythical destination, clinging to the memory of the first impressions it once made on the world.
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Struck by this paradoxical situation, Arnaud de Lexières traveled the island to confront its realities head-on. His lens captured what stood out to him—abandoned places, jarring juxtapositions, and everyday realities ignored by tourist circuits. Far from preconceptions and glossy hotel brochures, he observed desolate landscapes, unsettling situations, and the recurring ailments of an island at odds with its own image.
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Composing a striking panorama of a hidden Bali, his photographs evoke a collision of emotions. With a sad and disenchanted beauty, they work their magic through a dark seduction, drawing us into the haunting allure of an island in transformation.