The Museum of Asian Arts presents its brand new exhibition Kid Jockeys. Taking place from Wednesday, January 25 to Sunday, April 30, 2023, this exhibition unveils the remarkable work of photographer Alain Schroeder.
The Alpes-Maritimes Department is proud to present the exhibition Kid Jockeys, hosted at the renowned Museum of Asian Arts. This exhibition is organized as part of the event “Photographers in Asia,” which aims to highlight Asian culture through numerous photographic exhibitions.
The Exhibition
This exhibition is dedicated to the child jockeys of Sumbawa Island, located in Indonesia. It involves a practice known as “Main jaral” (playing/horse), which originally served as a ritual celebrating the harvests. In the 20th century, Dutch colonizers transformed this practice into a form of entertainment for the elite. Today, these horse races are a popular pastime for locals, but also a significant financial stake. Young jockeys, aged between 5 and 10 years, participate in these races. They train intensively two to three times a week to prepare for the 14 competitions organized throughout the year across the 7 racetracks scattered around Sumbawa Island. These young participants aim to win between 3€ and 7€, essential income for their families. Indeed, this region of Indonesia is one of the poorest in the entire country. Despite the ban on working before the age of fifteen in the country, this practice continues. However, voices are beginning to rise against this injustice, challenging children’s rights. Unfortunately, tradition still prevails over the law in Sumbawa.
The Artist
The exhibition Kid Jockeys showcases the black and white photographs of independent sports photographer Alain Schroeder. He worked for 30 years in a press agency that he himself founded. Subsequently, he left this agency in 2010 to become an independent journalist, traveling around the world in search of stories to capture in images. He stayed in Asia, India, Pakistan, and Thailand, among other places, bringing back many photographs that capture snippets of life in these regions. His next destination is Sumbawa Island, in the heart of Indonesia, where he will capture the essence of these horse races that take place in impressive racetracks. You can discover these stunning images in this eventful exhibition, offering numerous photographs depicting epic actions, marked by aesthetically magnificent black and white tones.
We remind you that the Kid Jockeys exhibition takes place at the Museum of Asian Arts from January 25 to April 30, 2023. Admission is entirely free and without reservation, so feel free to explore this photographic exhibition now.
