A theme park in Indonesia has been marketing itself as a destination for “selfie tourism” as it looks at new ways to get visitors out of their homes and into its attraction.
Rabbit Town, which is located in the city of Badung, West Java, features a rabbit petting zoo and art installation that look like replicas of famous works.
The theme park’s Instagram account features photos of its guests posing with a variety of the installations. Its tagline reads: “the way to more happiness” followed by a rabbit emoji.
Amir Sidharta, an art researcher and auctioneer, said Rabbit Town was clearly catering to the art market, the Guardian reports.
“I think Rabbit Town is the kind of place in which the owner is very responsive to what people are looking at in museums,” he said. “People are going to museums not for their knowledge enhancement but more for taking selfies.”
Henry Husada, the chief executive and chairman of the Kagum Group, opened Rabbit Town in January.
Sunaryo, a celebrated artist and gallery owner in Bandung, first heard about Rabbit Town when it went viral on social media this week.
“This is embarrassing because Bandung is known as a creative city but then you have someone making this,” he said, according to the Guardian. “For artists who work hard for their careers, to have their works taken like that is heartache.”
Sunaryo said the inspiration behind the works was clear and their public and commercial display problematic. He suggested the owners should apologise and clarify the permissions status for the works.
Image: Paško Tomić
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