Buddha Op=Op

Bom Noh is from South Korea where she was raised in a family of active Buddhists. Once in the Netherlands, she encountered a completely different and transformed use of the Buddha image. In this country where Buddhism isn’t widespread, Buddha statues are found almost everywhere. Not only in the domestic environment but also in stores, working environments, bars and restaurants, even in toilets. Can the representation of Buddha be a tool to understand and reflect on Dutch society? Bom asked herself. Through interviews with experts, Bom discovered how the Buddha image in the Netherlands is commercialised as a symbol for mindfulness, peacefulness, and meditation.  She presents her journey in a video installation that illuminates the layers behind the Buddha image in the Dutch context.