As they set off for Madagascar in 2003, photographer Max Pam and writer Stephen Muecke adopted as their guiding principle the idea of contingencycentral to which is the conscious embrace of risk and chance. In doing so, they established a new aesthetic in which image and text are inextricably linked to the notion of possibility. This stunning collection of photos and essays is the result of their vision, collectively illustrating the beauty and wisdom on offer in one of the worlds poorest nations. A contribution to the wave of new ethnography exemplified by Michael Taussig and Kathleen Stewart, these encounters with events, images, and experimental writing dramatize thoughts and feelings in the ongoing construction of place.
Stephen Muecke is professor of writing at the University of New South Wales. His most recent book, Joe in the Andamans and Other Fictional Stories, was shortlisted for the Adelaide Festival Award for Literature.
Max Pam teaches photography and media at Edith Cowan University in Western Australia. He is the author of numerous books, including Atlas Monographs.
