Enter Paper Title]Reflections on the Impact of Informal Sector Tourism on Indigenous Namibian Craft Processes

Abstract

This paper is the first to use bookwork, a form of spreadable media, to explore and reflect upon the impact of informal sector tourism on indigenous Namibian craft culture. We seek to convey the manner in which “outsiders” (such as tourists) can permanently influence authentic craft processes by observing and purchasing low cost, easily mass-produced, inauthentic brightly colored objects and generating an artistic installation titled Grey Market Tourism to be used as the centerpiece of an academic discussion in this paper on the outsider’s view of the encroachment on authentic Namibian craft and to the broader society in a public art exhibition. Through the use of bookwork as creative output, we raise questions about tourism, the commodification of art, and the meaning of authenticity in craft culture. We also issue a call to action regarding greater integration of art practices in business literature through interdisciplinary collaboration and broader recognition of artistic expressions, such as bookwork, as research output.