Female Visual Identity in Bali Tourism Digital Magazine Advertisement

Abstract

This study examines the phenomenon of illusionation in digital tourism advertising that places Balinese women's bodies as the main subject matter. The massive development of the digital promotion industry has shifted the visual paradigm from authentic local representation to global beauty construction for market satisfaction. The main objective of this study is to identify the anatomy of the visual style of tourism digital magazine advertising in presenting Balinese women as subject matter, as well as to analyze the manifestation of aesthetic promise in the commodification of visual models. The research method used is qualitative with a descriptive-analytical approach under the umbrella of Art Studies. The analytical knife used integrates Wolfgang Fritz Haug's Commodity Aesthetic Theory, Roland Barthes' Semiotics, and Jacques Derrida's Deconstruction Aesthetics, which are deepened through the lens of Visual Communication Design. The results of the study show that identity deconstruction is carried out through a structured commodity aesthetic mechanism, i.e. when the physical figures of local women are manipulated through digital image engineering techniques (digital imaging) in order to approach Western beauty standards (westernization). This phenomenon creates a visual simulacra that positions non-local figures as the main representation of Bali, while authentic identities are eliminated and marginalized.