Boat No. I

About Bettina Flitner

Poetic passages Bettina Flitner’s series “Boatpeople” put a unique object centre stage: a traditional Burmese boat. The photographer bought the wooden fishing boat at Inle Lake, situated on a plateau high in the Shan Hills along the Chinese border, and transported it to Cologne, where it sits on the Rhine. Filtner photographs a broad range of personalities and groups aboard the craft – including managers, nuns, and transvestites – creating a poetic, calming and humorous procession. The people appear to be on a journey of discovery, moving along the current of life. Self-aware and in distinctive poses, they are the lead actors in theatrical arrangements. We curiously and… Read more