APY3704
Assignment 3
Semester 2
Unique number:
619864
17 October 2024
, Introduction
In this fieldwork assignment, I visited Arts Décor Frames, a local curio and craft store located
in Pretoria, which specializes in selling traditional arts and crafts, such as old art kettles, jars,
and mouj gardens. The store, with its primary target market of tourists and locals, provided a
fascinating glimpse into the dynamics of tourism and the anthropological themes of
pilgrimage, cultural performance, and commodification that are covered in the APY3704
module. In this ethnographic study, I will describe my observations and interactions in the
store while linking them to key anthropological concepts from the study guide, such as
pilgrimage, tourism as imperialism, and the quest for authenticity.
The Store and its Atmosphere
Arts Décor Frames is located on Francis Baard Street in the heart of Pretoria, a central
location that draws both tourists and local patrons. The décor of the shop is striking, with
traditional art pieces and crafts meticulously arranged on shelves and walls. Jars, kettles,
and framed artwork are displayed in a manner that exudes an air of cultural nostalgia. The
atmosphere of the shop seems carefully curated to appeal to tourists looking for a piece of
"authentic" African culture to take home as a memento. The spoken language in the shop is
primarily English, which caters to both local customers and international visitors.
From an anthropological perspective, this initial observation brings to mind the concept of
the commodification of culture, the transformation of cultural artefacts into products for sale,
often targeting outsiders who seek the exotic. The items on sale are tangible manifestations
of African tradition, yet they have been commodified for the tourist market. This dynamic
relates to the theme of imperialism in tourism, where cultural performances or products are
often staged or commodified to meet the expectations of foreign visitors, as suggested by
Ndlovu (2019). I observed that many of the objects, while undeniably traditional, were
framed in a way that highlighted their foreignness to an outsider’s gaze, reminding me of the
critiques that tourism can impose a neocolonial gaze upon indigenous cultures.
Observations of Host and Tourist Interactions
Assignment 3
Semester 2
Unique number:
619864
17 October 2024
, Introduction
In this fieldwork assignment, I visited Arts Décor Frames, a local curio and craft store located
in Pretoria, which specializes in selling traditional arts and crafts, such as old art kettles, jars,
and mouj gardens. The store, with its primary target market of tourists and locals, provided a
fascinating glimpse into the dynamics of tourism and the anthropological themes of
pilgrimage, cultural performance, and commodification that are covered in the APY3704
module. In this ethnographic study, I will describe my observations and interactions in the
store while linking them to key anthropological concepts from the study guide, such as
pilgrimage, tourism as imperialism, and the quest for authenticity.
The Store and its Atmosphere
Arts Décor Frames is located on Francis Baard Street in the heart of Pretoria, a central
location that draws both tourists and local patrons. The décor of the shop is striking, with
traditional art pieces and crafts meticulously arranged on shelves and walls. Jars, kettles,
and framed artwork are displayed in a manner that exudes an air of cultural nostalgia. The
atmosphere of the shop seems carefully curated to appeal to tourists looking for a piece of
"authentic" African culture to take home as a memento. The spoken language in the shop is
primarily English, which caters to both local customers and international visitors.
From an anthropological perspective, this initial observation brings to mind the concept of
the commodification of culture, the transformation of cultural artefacts into products for sale,
often targeting outsiders who seek the exotic. The items on sale are tangible manifestations
of African tradition, yet they have been commodified for the tourist market. This dynamic
relates to the theme of imperialism in tourism, where cultural performances or products are
often staged or commodified to meet the expectations of foreign visitors, as suggested by
Ndlovu (2019). I observed that many of the objects, while undeniably traditional, were
framed in a way that highlighted their foreignness to an outsider’s gaze, reminding me of the
critiques that tourism can impose a neocolonial gaze upon indigenous cultures.
Observations of Host and Tourist Interactions
