Pink Man in Paradise (post-bomb Bali, 2003)

Pink Man performance by Sompong Thawee

In the middle of the night of 12 October 2002, a bomb exploded in front of a Balinese nightclub, killing 202 tourists-mostly Australians-and injuring hundreds. It was an unprecedented terrorist attack, never before seen in the history of this tropical tourist island paradise. With this one act, Islamic extremist terrorists blew to smithereens the partying and revelry that they saw as a manifestation of hell on earth, leaving behind, among the ruins, panic, incomprehension, outrage and grief for the people who lost their loved ones. For the rest of us, it has become clear that "No place is safe any more in this world." The war on terrorism, as waged by US President George W. Bush and his allies, seems to be adding fuel to the fire instead of tackling the problem at its roots.The rug has been pulled from under our feet. No less so for Pink Man, the embodiment of consumerism. Like other average tourists and thrill-seekers everywhere, Pink Man's ego is in a limbo of paranoia and instability, his naivete gone but his wisdom unborn, as he roams all over the island of Bali, searching for his paradise los