Spring Break
In search of authentic Gozo
Rashida Lyles Cowan/Staff Reporter
Issue date: 4/2/09 Section: News
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Peake, an Eastern alumnus and a former Daily Eastern News photographer, returned to campus for his presentation "In the Search of Authentic Gozo."
Gozo is an island that straddles the borders of Africa and Europe.
Peake traveled to Gozo to "explore the implications and contradictions of authenticity," he said.
"Authenticity is not about objects but the experience of objects," Peake said.
Authenticity can be better described as a point of view or how the individual perceives the experience.
Peake looked at Gozo from its history, landscapes and restaurants.
The history of Gozo begins in 5,000 B.C. when the Sicilians were the first-known humans on the island. As time progressed, several different cultures moved into the land, bringing different beliefs and ideas.
Gozo is of the European Union.
Gozo is becoming more modern, as can be seen through its landscapes.
In the photographs Peake presented, Gozo was full of busy streets and the streets were sometimes dirty and cluttered. Yet, Peake said if a tourist wanted to go on a tour of Gozo, a guide would take the tourist to the nice areas and the more modern places.
"This depiction that the authentic idea is meditated from the past filters down from modernity," Peake said.
Peake also found contradictions with simply finding a bite to eat.
During his visit in Gozo, he would ask people what would be an authentic restaurant, or where he would be able to experience authentic food.
Some locals said a restaurant or café, while others would disagree and tell him to go to a hot dog stand, Peake said.
Peake questioned what is real, and why one thing was authentic for one person but not the other.
He said authentic life is not just what is seen in advertising, but is what exists in space and time.
Justin Barrett, a sophomore corporate communications major, said he believes Gozo was authentic at one point, but not now.
"Authenticity evolves throughout time, so therefore how can one define what is authentic?" he said.
Peake said the decision of what is authentic, from historic to modern Gozo, is determined by the individual's perspective.
Tiffany Jones, a junior sociology major, realized from the presentation that nothing is really authentic.
"Since everything is changing over time, everyone is adding something to make it more authentic," she said.
Whether a society decides to become more modernized and add new objects to a tradition does not rule out authenticity.
"Malta wants to be seen as modern, blurring lines between identities with being the other person," Peake said.
Rashida Lyles Cowan can be reached at 581-7942 or at DENnewsdesk@gmail.com.
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Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
Beth
posted 4/05/09 @ 11:27 PM CST
His lecture was good, but it seemed like he was more interested in using things outside of anthropology (like philosophy and lit theory) to describe authenticity. (Continued…)
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