ART / Living ASEAN - Inspiring Tropical Lifestyle

ASEAN Art Plays Vital Social Media Roles

By livingasean
January 2, 2019
ART,Bangkok Art Biennale 2018,CULTURE,HAPPENING,SPECIAL SCOOP

The art of the ASEAN is shining with excitement at the Bangkok Art Biennale 2018. Besides encouraging creative thinking through their works, artists from around the Region see their expressions as a tool to communicate their enthusiasm, raise their concerns, and get people to think about various social and environmental issues. Their thought-provoking visuals and other artistic designs reflect how art is playing a vital role within the community much like social media is used to connect with people and foster new ideas. Our Living ASEAN team has explored the works of visual art on display and filed this report. Check it out!

/// THAILAND ///
Story: Singhanart Nakpongphun /// Photography: Rithirong Chanthongsuk, Anupong Chaisukkasem, Singhanart Nakpongphun, Woradon Chansiri

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations, ASEAN for short, is a regional organization committed to promoting cooperation and facilitating economic and sociocultural integration among its ten member states, which include Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, and Indonesia. The ASEAN population is estimated at 635 million.

Country: Cambodia
Title: National Road No. 5
Artist: Lim Sokchanlina
Venue: The Bangkok Art and Culture Center (BACC), 7th Floor

Lim Sokchanlina is a photographer and founder of the artist group “Stiev Selepak” that’s known for works in various disciplines ranging from photography to installation to performance art. His expressions often reflect with gloominess on socio-economic conditions in Cambodia. Worthy of attention is the work of visual art titled “Sa Sa Bassac Art Project”, which he recently exhibited at the Sydney Biennial, Australia. He also debuted his latest work titled “Sunshower: Contemporary Art from Southeast Asia from the 1980s to Now” at the Mori Art Museum in Tokyo in 2017.

“National Road No. 5”, his exhibit at the Bangkok Art Biennale 2018, tells stories of overwhelming distress after people’s homes have been torn down to make room for the development of a project along the Thai-Cambodian border. Timber that’s eroded by being exposed to the weather tells an unforgettable tale of heartbreak after people’s lives have been altered by the expansion process of a capitalist economy.

A sculptural installation titled “Rekayasa Genetika” (REGEN) by Heri Dono. Press the button to get the message. — A sculptural installation titled “Rekayasa Genetika” (REGEN) by Heri Dono.

A work of visual art titled “Flying Angels” on show at the East Asiatic Building

Country: Indonesia
Titles: “Rekayasa Genetika” (REGEN), and “Flying Angels”
Artist: Heri Dono
Venues: The Bangkok Art and Culture Center (BACC), 7th Floor; the East Asiatic Building; and the Hotel Peninsula

“Rekayasa Genetika” (REGEN) is sculptural installation by Indonesian artist Heri Dono. Surprising in a way that’s unique to his artistic ability, the exhibit is appreciated for its beauty of non-verbal expression and strong emotional power. The human like sculptures showing the effect of mutation get their inspiration from Indonesia’s shadow puppetry known as Wayang. The sculptural works are made of a variety of objets trouves ranging from fiberglass and wood to electronic gadgets and electric fans. Art lovers can interact with the exhibits by pressing the button provided. Besides the mutants, Heri also debuts “Flying Angels” at the East Asiatic Building for the duration of Bangkok Art Biennale 2018. Meantime, another squadron of “Flying Angels” are on view at the Hotel Peninsula Bangkok.

Country: Myanmar
Title: The Check Point
Artist: Nge Lay
Venues: The Bangkok Art and Culture Center (BACC), 7th Floor

The Check Point by Myanmar artist Nge Lay sends a tactful reminder that says, “Everyone must come through that door.” It reflects a situation in which people experience a clash of opposing needs or wishes in daily living. A graduate of the Yangon University of Culture, the artist pursued a career in ornaments and accessories design until 2003 when she made the switch to live performance art and photography. Her works of visual art oftentimes touch on the perception of social and historical circumstances and the prospects of Myanmar’s politics. Since 2009, she has exhibited at various art scenes including the Singapore Biennale 2013 and the 8th Asia-Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art.

The artist’s entry in the Bangkok Art Biennale 2018 is a bloggable installation that calls attention to gender inequality. Through it, she deals with the subject of different treatment or perceptions of individuals due to their gender. The most important point at issue is whether it be good or bad, rich or poor, saint or sinner, everyone is born into the world through that door. Yet, the idea that men and women are not equal remains a major barrier to human development. Aptly named “The Check Point”, the installation tells their stories of what seems like the eternal conflict between the sexes. The artwork that resembles a woman’s outer garment consists of eight types of Longyi or sheets of cloth worn by people from various ethnic groups across Myanmar. As the artist puts it: “The work is a combination of different feelings, satisfaction and dissatisfaction, pride and sadness that comes with being a woman. I want to send a message that the door through which we are born into the world should not be regarded as unclean. Hence, the weaker sex should not be oppressed nor treated badly by people in power. A part from motherhood, they represent cultural values, the beauty of nature, and healthy pride in a country.”

Country: The Philippines
Title: The Settlement
Artist: Mark Justiniani
Venues: The Bangkok Art and Culture Center (BACC), 1st Floor

“The Settlement” is a small room that stretches into infinity. Its outer covering is made of timber and old galvanized sheets. Step into the world of Mark Justiniani, and you come before an amazing installation. The visual artist uses mirrors to create an illusion that shows smaller and smaller reflections that appear to recede into endless space and time. In so doing, Justiniani combines his artistic skill with a high degree of knowledge to relive an experience and feelings from the history of the Philippines. He gets his inspiration from stories of national heroes, such as Jose Rizal, Andres Bonifacio, and their struggle to free the island country form colonialism. Justiniani sees understanding of past events as a means to recuperate from unpleasant memories. Illusions come in handy to stimulate a passion for learning and happiness. For those wanting to escape from confused and noisy disturbances, “The Settlement” is a place to be. (Viewers are required to take off their shoes to enter the exhibit.)

Justiniani is among the artists who took part in social movements in the Philippines from the 1980s to the 1990s. Through the years he has earned affection and esteem for contributing to positive change. He won the Thirteen Artists Award from the Cultural Center of the Philippines in 1994. Since then, he has exhibited at major art events worldwide, among them the Asia-Pacific Triennial, the Yokohama Triennial, the Asia Society in New York, the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco, and the National Art Gallery of Singapore.
Country: Malaysia
Title: We die if we don’t dream.
Artist: Sherman Ong
Venue: The Bangkok Art and Culture Center (BACC), 7th Floor

Winner of the 2010 ICON de Martell Cordon Bleu Photography Award, Malaysian artist Sherman Ong has worked in motion pictures and photography in Singapore. She is passionate about the circumstances affecting the relationships between humans and the environment as well as change that’s taking place in modern-day Southeast Asia. Sherman is widely known for her work titled “NUSANTARA: The seas will sing and the wind will carry us” that chronicles long journeys by sea through the Region from past to present. It tells stories in a non-verbal way of movement of people from one area to another as well as cultural assimilation that has come to characterize the social landscape. Over time, as people came in contact with one another, the individuals or groups of different ethnic heritage are absorbed into and become a part of the culture of a society. For the Bangkok Art Biennale, Sherman Ong debuts “We die if we don’t dream” (2018), a thought provoking exhibit about the experience, ideas, and memories of Afghan people in Malaysia.

Country: Laos
Title: The Adventure of Sinxay
Artists: The Thai-Lao Group Hooptam
Venue: BAB Box @ One Bangkok

“The Adventure of Sinxay” is a full-size wall painting in vivacious colors by the Thai-Lao group Hooptam. The painted picture is the result of a confluence of ideas between Songwit Pimpakun, Tanupon En-on, Home-Sawan Umansap of Thailand and two artists from the Lao PDR Tiane Vilayphonechith and Amphonesouk Phaysourine. The amazing work of visual art gets its inspiration from oral literary works about the basic goodness of mankind and courageous character. It tells a story in a powerfully irresistible way about a young man who goes on a long journey to rescue his relative abducted by a giant. Along the way, the story of imaginary persons and events makes reference to the basic teachings of the Buddha, the beliefs associated with the local people, and the mottos that guide them through pain and suffering. For the Bangkok Art Biennale 2018, the artist group gives a different interpretation to the classic story so as to fit in with modern-day circumstances. The leading character begins his journey from the Laotian capital Vientiane, crosses the Mekong River into Thailand, and soon heads for Bangkok. On the way, he confronts many obstacles, among them devils and evil spirits as well as an army of soldiers. Overall, it’s a confusing world dominated by technological advances and online social media.

Country: Vietnam
Title: Jrai Dew: A radicle room
Artist: Art Labor
Venue: O. P. Place, 3rd Floor

Artists from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam came together in 2012 in a bid to find ways of presenting their ideas through non-formal visual art forms. The result was a series of artistic expressions from a unique cultural point of view. The group consisted of artist Thao Nguyen Phan, curator Truong Cong Tung, and author Arlette Quynh-Anh Tran. Together, they experimented with new ideas that went beyond the limits and ventured out into unfamiliar territories. In the process, they discovered “Jrai Dew”, a belief traditional to an ethnic group called Jarai who inhabits remote areas in the highlands of central Vietnam. According to an explanation by Art Labor, the Jarai people believe that humans are an inextricable part of the cycle of nature, a process in which everything is continuously cycled in various forms of the environment. After death, everything begins again like tiny drops of water that form in the cold of night and evaporate when temperatures rise. Likewise, people and the forest in which they live go through a never-ending cycle of change. As the gems of morning disappear, they signal the opening of new opportunities for other things to grow. For the Bangkok Art Biennale 2018, Art Labor debuts “Jrai Dew: A radicle room”, a unique installation that took three years in the making. It’s designed to communicate such a thought provoking idea from the highlands of central Vietnam to its audiences beyond borders.

Country: Singapore
Title: A Parade for the Paraders
Artist: Kray Chen
Venue: The Bangkok Art and Culture Center (BACC), 7th Floor

“A Parade for the Paraders” is a triple-screen piece of video art by former members of the Singapore Military Marching Band. The musicians come together to play “Steamroller” in a lively and animated fashion that has made the soldier jogging song more interesting and exciting. The band members are seen without full dress regalia as they march past a deserted school. The relaxed and unconcerned parade may be an unfamiliar sight to see, but the music and the formation are a serious matter. Kray Chen, formerly a member of the marching band, explained that his video art presented a contrast between playfulness and serious performances. The real military marching band spent many hours practicing to achieve perfection before they could play as part of National Day Parades on August 9. His band did not. A harsh reality of life that few people knew was that military marching music was taken so seriously that under normal circumstances, its members weren’t even allowed to perform live in public.

Country: Thailand
Title: The Outlaw’s Flag
Artist: Jakkai Siributr
Venue: The Bangkok Art and Culture Center (BACC), 7th Floor Ambulatory

“The Outlaw’s Flag” by Thai artist Jakkai Siribut is an installation that calls attention to the plight of the Rohingya refugees. Like a very exciting contest, the work of visual art consists of 15 flags that no one knows to what country or people they belong. The only known truth is that the humanitarian crisis caused by violence and discrimination in Myanmar has sent hundreds of thousands of refugees fleeing into neighboring countries. The imaginary flags on display send a message of hope for the future of the Rohingya and urge countries in the region to cooperate in a bid to end terror and suffering that the refugees are facing. The artist is regarded with respect and warm approval for drawing attention to pressing socio-political issues, most notably the challenges faced by the followers of Buddhism in Thailand. He sees the tendency to consider material possessions more important than spiritual values as having a detrimental effect on the Thai way of life. A versatile artist, Jakkai is skillful in using textiles, embroidery techniques, photography and video art in creating beautiful installations that get people to think about the problems that need to be dealt with. He has exhibited at various art destinations in America, Europe, and Asia, most notably the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco, the Asian Civilizations Museum in Singapore, and the Vebih Koc Foundation in Istanbul.

So, Can Art Really Create Happiness?

By livingasean
December 22, 2018
ART,Bangkok Art Biennale 2018,CULTURE,HAPPENING,PEOPLE,SPECIAL SCOOP

“Beyond Bliss” and “The Joy of Art” are catchphrases for Bangkok Art Biennale 2018, so it’s natural to look at how these 75 artists from 33 countries interpret “happiness” according to their own experience. Some depict happiness by taking ownership of it: see the works of Choi Jeong Hwa. Some show it through a lens of conflict, suffering, sadness, struggles for survival, or immigrant problems. Each work takes a different approach, offering perspectives on “happiness” we’ve never seen before.

Following up on this, we looked back to a seminar held last September at Warehouse 30, the 16^th BAB Talk, where the 5 renowned Thai artists Tawatchai Puntusawasdi, Sanitas Pradittasnee, Dujdao Vadhanapakorn, Torlarp Larpjaroensook, and Kawita Vatanajyankur discussed the topic “So, Can Art Really Create Happiness?” Here are some samples of how each answered this question.

Dujdao Vadhanapakorn

“Art can create more than happiness. As a child I wasn’t a good student. I couldn’t do much of anything, wasn’t much good at anything. The classroom felt like the absolute wrong place and the wrong way for me. But when we put on a dance for the New Year’s party, or when the teacher called me up to dance in front of the class, it felt really good! The art of dance teaches me how to be myself every day. It teaches the feeling of true happiness and gives it a tangible form.”

Tawatchai Puntusawasdi

“Our art works are evidence of time: that is, they indicate how well we have used our time. In any case, a finished art work emerges as a tangible piece that communicates our ideas. We may well define the word “happiness” differently, but I think if we as artists are happy with a piece of art we’ve created, viewers will pick up on that feeling and learn from it.”

Sanitas Pradittasnee

“As someone who likes to look at art, that is, speaking from the standpoint of a viewer, when I see something unexpected in a work of art my heart fills with a great feeling, as I’ve been given something new to learn. A truly good art work can take us on a path into another world, seen through the eyes of the artist who created it. I want my art to communicate the substance of things that inspire people, to spark something in others, so I really have to say that art actually can create happiness, and has done so throughout time, to this very day.”

Torlarp Larpjaroensook

“When someone comes to see my art and it brings out a connection to a time of their own happiness, it makes me very happy. Both happiness and sorrow are definitely there to be seen in art, but for me, happiness is the greater. That’s what makes me want to get up in the morning and get right to my art, it’s great fun.”

Kawita Vatanajyankur

“Artists are able to create happiness in themselves and others. The things that give me the greatest happiness are, first of all, being able to work with my mom, who is my manager and photographer, and secondly, my art teaching me how to cope with life’s hardships and care for my own spirit. As for giving happiness to others, I feel my work is a kind of mouthpiece for the “little people,” such as laborers, helping society to be more aware their value. Just that, the ability to help other people, gives me more happiness from creating art.”

Our interviews with these 5 artists show that many concepts about art and creativity are shared among themselves and with other world-class artists. Marina Abramović’s view extends beyond the happiness of the individual artist to the artist’s audience and to world society in general. In a major seminar at Siam Pavalai Royal Grand Theater in Siam Paragon Marina put it this way: “Art should imitate and promote positive emotions. It should encourage each of us to be a better person, and in the end society will be the better for the art which accomplishes that.”

Regardless of how you personally define “happiness” or “art,” or if you’re still wondering if art can really create happiness, right now more than 200 art works from 75 artists worldwide are visiting us here in Bangkok, Thailand. To answer those questions all you have to do is step out, go see the art for yourself. Where to start? What to see? Check it out by taking a little time to study 30 not-to-be-missed works at Bangkok Art Biennale 2018.

30 WORKS OF ART YOU CAN’T MISS AT BAB 2018

Art and Decoration: Are They the Same? – Looking Beyond the Works of BAB 2018 Artists

By livingasean
December 20, 2018
ART,Bangkok Art Biennale 2018,CULTURE,HAPPENING,SPECIAL SCOOP

Sometimes an empty wall, a wide space with nothing on it, seems like a canvas waiting for someone to touch it up with some exotic color or texture. Then, we might see a large room that practically calls out to be divided into smaller spaces – perhaps with a gorgeous screen or drape. Or that wall, now, wouldn’t it better with a big, beautiful frame of some kind to add some interesting dimension?

Imagine a house where normal furnishings – doors, windows, curtains, light bulbs, wardrobes, etc. – are important not just for their functionality, but for their artistic interest. We found that many of the pieces featured at the Bangkok Art Biennale 2018 international festival of contemporary art created major transformations in the décor of a number of interior and outdoor spaces, bringing new aesthetics to familiar places.

If we bring a work of art into a room to replace some more conventional furnishing, it’s more than simply aesthetic enhancement: it has tangible value, too. In this story LivingASEAN will take you to look at some art works that could be seen both as art and as decoration, pieces from BAB 2018 shown at the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre (BACC), where art often likes to have conversations with the spaces around it.

Soaked Dream: Photos of dreams and the future amid darkness / composition

Soaked Dream is a suite of photographs by Bangladeshi artist Firoz Mahmud. It shows people in a number of poses, all wearing bright green eyewear of Firoz’s creation designed to suggest hidden meanings found looking into dreams, or perhaps into the future. Eyewear of different styles are worn here by a refugee family, by displaced persons, and by members of an ethnic tribal minority, all seeking light in the dark. Here Firoz has created a narrative representation calling for social change, calling attention to difficulties of the Rohingya tribe that fled from Burma to the land of Bangladesh.

Beautiful photographs or other pieces of art that express meaning can expand their narratives by being set in a decorative arrangement on a wall – that is, if it’s just the right wall. This requires attention to the size of the frame, distance between photos, height of placement. Generally 1.2-1.5 meters high will catch a person’s line of sight, and pictures should be 5-7.5 centimeters apart. For contrast, a picture may be set at a different angle than the others, or shown in a contrasting proportion. Notice, above, one of Firoz’s pictures displayed in two versions, one taller and narrower than the other. This creates a transition and prepares us for the pictures on the right side.

You can see this work on the 8^th floor of the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre (BACC) between October 19^th, 2018 and February 3^rd, 2019.

Art tunnel/sculpture: a passage back to childhood, right here in the front plaza.

This piece is great for the little kid in the family, or for anyone who wants to get the feeling of once again being a child. Shelter from the Stars 2018 is an elegant 5-meter-long tunnel sculpture in front of the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre, the work of Marc Schmitz, a German artist and curator. The sculpture makes a statement about empty space which you’re not likely to find in many urban places, offering a happy respite from the decadence, chaos, and depression of the city.

If you were to put this work in another location, it might improve the aesthetics of a small garden in front of a house, perhaps on the edge of a small pond or fountain – of course, if little kids are around, safety is a consideration – or in the shade of a big tree. It would make a special garden or private resting area even more special.

You can see this work in the plaza fronting the BACC from October 19, 2018 to February 3, 2019.

Faith…Life / divisions and boundaries

The work Faith … Life B.E.2560 by Arichama Pakapet of the group Muslimah Collective, a Muslim female artists’ group in Chana District, Songkhla: mixed media work from woven natural materials, 300 x 200 cm.

Connections and divisions, separating spaces with clear-cut boundaries, can add beautiful highlights to living rooms, dining rooms, reading corners, or other rooms. Arichama Pakapet’s woven piece Faith … Life B.E.2560, can be used as a screen to block a view, or to cleanly separate area boundaries in a semiformal way without making a space look too closed off or stuffy. Importantly, it can be hung as a temporary decoration without the necessity of taking time and expense to build a permanent structure such as a wall. This beautiful piece of art is easily moveable and adds dimension and interest to the space.

The Muslimah Collective was formed by Keeta Isran of Narathiwat, Nuriya Waji from Sai Buri District and Kusofiyah Nibuesa from Panare District in Pattani, and the artist Arichama Pakapet herself. Her art conveys narratives of ways of life, inner feelings, and loss. It is like a mirror, reflecting the hope of the spirit that lives of peace and quiet happiness may be lived in the three border provinces of the South.

The work Faith . . . Life B.E.2560 by Arichama Pakapet can be seen on the 7th floor of the BACC from October 19, 2018 to February 3, 2019.

Check Point | Step through, Enter out

Doors come in many forms: there are sliding, folding, concertina, roll-up, and steel accordion doors. Every house has to have one just to get in and out, but Myanmar’s Nge Lay has given us something more special than that.

Nge Lay works with women’s issues. Society often views women as weak, and denies them equal rights. Her piece The Check Point, harks back to checkpoints she had to pass through with other women in a sweatshop working with longyi, a popular fabric 8 ethnicities in Myanmar sew into skirts. This piece is cut into a vagina-like shape, symbolizing the fact that every one of us is born through the vagina of a mother.

“I created this work with a feeling of both satisfaction and dissatisfaction, at the same time proud and sad at being a woman. I want visitors to walk through this door and experience it not as a dirty or depressing thing, but as expressing the value of motherhood, nature, and the land,” explains Nge Lay.

The significance of this “door,” according to Ngay, is not as a solution to a problem. Although used here to divide outside and inside space, it also sparks a sudden realization of its deeper meaning: a way to pass through boundaries. Standing alone as if torn from its original frame, it is a vivid reminder of that elemental passage.

You can see this work on the 7^th floor of the BACC from October 19, 2018 to February 3, 2019.

Without light, but it leads the line of sight | instead of light: Century Buds

Century Buds by Marc Schmitz: absorbent cotton topping a stalk, like a huge cleaning tool for extraterrestrials

Century Buds is another piece by Shelter from the Stars 2018 creator Marc Schmitz. It looks like a pair of giant “cotton buds,” or Q-tips, foreign objects set here by a visitor from another world, or perhaps giant ear-cleaning tools for an elephant here on this planet.

The two primary components were constructed of copper and polished chromium-plated steel, with a soft bud formed on the end of each. Marc’s intent was to suggest a cleaning of the spirit. Looking at this set we might imagine a super-cool lamp, or perhaps a luxury chandelier. It catches the eye, drawing the line of sight to it, especially when it is set up high, in a “double-volume” room. At night, when the lights are on, it adds a sense of warmth. Perhaps it was created on a planet with no bright lights of its own to seamlessly radiate the energy of creativity instead of the light it leads us to expect.

This work can be seen on the 8^th floor of BACC from October 19, 2018 to February 3, 2019

BAB Artists in Collaboration with Famous Fashion Houses

By livingasean
November 30, 2018
ART,Bangkok Art Biennale 2018,CULTURE,HAPPENING,SPECIAL SCOOP

Among the 75-plus artists exhibiting at the Bangkok Art Biennale 2018, there are some distinguished names who have collaborated with world renowned fashion houses. Others have managed to put themselves on the map by creating products that are their signatures.

/// Thailand ///
Story: Nawapat Dusdul, Singhanart Nakpongphun /// Photography: Rithirong Chanthongsuk, Soopakorn Srisakul, Singhanart Nakpongphun

Over the years, so many collaborations have taken place to the extent that they are blurring the lines between haute couture and visual art. It comes as no surprise that here and now the sky is the limit. When beautiful works of art have left the confines of gallery life and landed in the atelier of a fashion house, the results can be far-reaching. In this presentation, we at Living ASEAN use the symbol x to designate a collaboration.

01 | Christian Dior x Lee Bul

THE LADY DIOR SEEN by Lee Bul | Photo courtesy of ©Lee Bul from Dior

54-year-old South Korean artist Lee Bul is widely known for her works in many artistic disciplines, among them sculpture and installation art. Driven by a passion for modern art and design, she lets her talent shine in everything she does. The artist regularly collaborates with the European luxury goods company Christian Dior. Some of the highlights of her contributions include Dior Lady Art #2, which came out in the fall of 2017. Interpreting design and manufacturing techniques in a different way, Lee Bul affixes pieces of plexiglass mirrors to the original Lady Dior handbag to imitate the appearance of a single sheet of broken glass. The new couture technique evokes memories of Lee Bul’s “Cella”, her display for the Miss Dior Exhibition at the Grand Palais Paris in 2013. Our editor for art and culture Singhanart Nakpongphun was there to see it and came away very impressed. As he put it, “Cella inspired a sense of peace in an unusual way. Same objects are reflected multiple times in multiple directions. I stood there motionless for quite some time.”

Lee Bul’s Cella for the Miss Dior Exhibition in 2013 | Photo courtesy of ©LEE BUL form Dior

See also:

In this video clip, Lee Bul gives an interview about how she works. Every morning, the Seoul-born artist keeps a detailed log of her activities. It keeps track of the process of developing until she puts the finishing touches to her work of art.

Those interested in Lee Bul’s way of conveying ideas through art shouldn’t miss Diluvium, her architectural installation for the Bangkok Art Biennale 2018. The striking exhibit crafted of multiple metal frames wrapped in silver foil tapes is currently on view at the East Asiatic Building that’s well known for its old world charm.

Bangkok Biennale 2018 — Diluvium, an architectural composition by Lee Bul | Photo courtesy of Singhanart Nakpongphun

02 | Louis Vuitton x Yayoi Kusama

Louis Vuitton - Yayoi Kusama Collection | Photo courtesy of Louis Vuitton — Louis Vuitton – Yayoi Kusama Collection | Photo courtesy of Louis Vuitton

Mention polka dots, and the name Yayoi Kusama springs to mind. The Japanese legend was among the first artists to have collaborated with the French fashion house and luxury brand Louis Vuitton. She began working with the atelier of Louis Vuitton in 2012, the most visible result of which being the Louis Vuitton – Yayoi Kusama collection. At the time, bold yet playful polka dots artwork, also known as “Dots Infinity”, began appearing on Louis Vuitton’s Vernis handbags. It wasn’t long before other bestselling models followed suit, most notably Speedy and Neverfull monogram canvas series, not to mention shoes, wallets, scarves … you name it. Yayoi Kusama is also known for her work in store decoration and brand awareness ideas.

Flashback: Here’s a video clip from the fashion blog stylerumer recorded on the day Yayoi Kusama attended a product launch at Louis Vuitton on Fifth Avenue, New York back in 2012.

Handbags, shoes, and clothing aside, it’s time to appreciate the beauty of installation works by the “Queen of polka dots”. Her entries into the Bangkok Art Biennale 2018, which include the Red Pumpkin with black polka dots, and the Silver Pumpkin with multiple color dots, are currently on view at Central World and Siam Paragon shopping malls.

“Red Pumpkin” with black polka dots, which is part of the “I Carry on Living with the Pumpkins” visual art collection, is on view at Siam Paragon (First floor, Fashion Gallery 3) | Photo courtesy of Anupong Chaisukkasem

“Silver Pumpkin” with a mosaic of multiple color dots, which is part of the “I Carry on Living with the Pumpkins” visual art collection, is on view at Siam Paragon (First floor, Fashion Gallery 3) | Photo courtesy of Anupong Chaisukkasem

Inflatable Pumpkins Balloons, an installation by Yayoi Kusama, is on show at Central World | Photo courtesy of Methee Samantong

03 | Prada x Elmgreen & Dragset

A visual art piece titled “Prada Marfa” | Photo courtesy of the Lyda Hill Texas Collection of Photographs in Carol M. Highsmith’s America Project, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division.

The artist duo, Michael Elmgreen of Denmark and Ingar Dragset of Norway, are widely known for creating “Prada Marfa”, an installation featuring a small Prada store somewhere in the middle of a desert in Taxas. Despite it being located just 42 kilometers from the nearest airport, exotic travels take a good three hours to reach it. The crux of the matter is a strong message about capitalism and how it affects the way people think. The visual art piece is created with Prada support.

“Zero”, a sculptural installation by Elmgreen and Dragset | Photo courtesy of Rithirong Chanthongsuk

For the Bangkok Art Biennale 2018, Elmgreen and Dragset present “Zero”, an 8-meter-tall sculptural installation made to look like the circumference of a swimming pool set at right angles. The thought provoking artwork is on show in front of the East Asiatic Building on the Chao Phraya River for the duration of the festival.

04 | Marina Abramovic

The portrait of Marina Abramovic for “The Artist Is Present” exhibition as it appeared on the cover of a 2012 publication. The picture was taken during a 2010 live performance. I Photo by Marco Anelli

A pioneer in contemporary art, Marina Abramovic is widely known for “The Artist Is Present”, an endurance performance that changes the way art sends a message to the active audience. Her first live performance exhibition debuted at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) New York in 2010. During the silent show, museum visitors took turns sitting across the table from Marina staring into her eyes for hours. The live performances took 736 hours and 30 minutes from start to finish. It was the focal point of a series of art exhibits designed to call attention to social issues.

Her iconic works gave the Italian fashion house Gucci an inspiration to host similar events as a means of promoting an exhibition at the Yuz Museum in Shanghai that runs until December 16, 2018. The luxury fashion brand presents its versions of “The Artist Is Present” curated by Maurizio Cattlean. In so doing, Gucci has installed gigantic art walls in the biggest cities across the world featuring the portrait of Marina Abramovic that was taken at the MoMA live performance in New York in 2010.

A reproduction of Marina Abramovic’s portrait as it appears in Gucci’s version of “The Artist Is Present” I Photo courtesy of Ronan Gallagher, inspired by the original taken by Marco Anelli

In Hong Kong, a painting of Marina Abramovic for a Gucci art wall promoting “The Artist Is Present” event I Photo taken by Ronan Gallagher, inspired by the original taken by Marco Anelli I Courtesy of Gucci

In Milan, a painting of Marina Abramovic for a Gucci art wall promoting “The Artist Is Present” event I Photo taken by Ronan Gallagher, inspired by the original taken by Marco Anelli I Courtesy of Gucci

In London, a painting of Marina Abramovic for a Gucci art wall promoting “The Artist Is Present” event I Photo taken by Ronan Gallagher, inspired by the original taken by Marco Anelli I Courtesy of Gucci

Besides the big names mentioned above, there are some homegrown artists who have become involved in the fashion world. Jitsing Somboon, formerly creative director at the Thai clothing brand “Playhound, is exhibiting his work titled “Paths of Faith” as part of the Bangkok Art Biennale 2018. The artist uses live performance art as a means of telling stories about Thai life and religion. The focal point of his work is a collection of white overcoats with “Faith” in either Thai, English, or Chinese stenciled on their back. The exhibition is on view at the entrance to the Temple of the Reclining Buddha, Wat Phra Chetupon at Tha Tian. The overcoats are given for people to wear on top of other clothing as they enter an area dedicated to religious purposes in the temple interior.

Jitsing Somboon shows the benefits of an overcoat with pouches on either side that allow people to carry their shoes with them as they enter the temple interior. I Photo courtesy of Singhanart Nakpongphun

Visitors put on Jitsing Somboon overcoats with the word “Faith” stenciled on their back as they enter the temple interior. I Photo courtesy of Singhanart Nakpongphun

The show would be incomplete without a couple of cool T-shirts. The up-and-coming artist Komkrit Tepthian also debuts a print T-shirt collection as part of his entry into the Bangkok Art Biennale 2018. The white short-sleeved casual top features simple drawings of his Giant Twins installation art stenciled on its front. The image tells stories of long-established friendship in a humorous way. Here’s the link to the artist’s fan page if you want one: Komkrit Tepthian : Artist

Giant Twins T-shirts by artist Komkrit Tepthian | Photo courtesy of Soopakorn Srisakul

Whether you’re interested in the arts, fashion, or design, there are plenty of inspiring shows awaiting your visit. The Bangkok Art Biennale 2018 is going on now until next February 3. Featuring more than 200 masterpieces by international and homegrown artists, the inaugural art festival is being held at 20 different locations throughout the capital city. This time you don’t have to travel far to appreciate the beauty and the power of art. It’s the opportunity you can’t afford to miss. Art lovers. mark your calendar!

The Underlying Attributes of “Thai-ness” at the Bangkok Art Biennale 2018

By livingasean
November 27, 2018
ART,Bangkok Art Biennale 2018,CULTURE,HAPPENING,SPECIAL SCOOP

Ask anyone in the street a simple question about Thai-ness. “What’s the first thing that comes to your mind?” And you may get something like traffic jams for an answer. It will come as no surprise. Everywhere you look, the streets are wedged solid with the traffic gridlock especially during rush hours.

/// Thailand ///
Story: Nawapat Dusdul /// Photography: Rithirong Chanthongsuk, Soopakorn Srisakul, Singhanart Nakpongphun

From a different point of view, you may get something positive for an answer, something like beautiful temples, the marvels of ancient architecture, or the land of colorful taxis. But Thai-ness isn’t about people’s perceptions of anyone or anything in particular. It’s a million memories that constitute a distinctive national identity. Good or bad, the underlying attributes of Thai-ness are hidden in all things we do. They range from little things like the flower garlands used in the worship of the Buddha and dolls in full traditional dance regalia, to spectacular scenery including temples and palaces, national monuments and colorful nightlife. All things considered, the perceptions of the quality of being Thai can differ greatly from one person to the next, and it’s open to interpretation. That’s where art comes into play as a medium of expression that in a subtle way explains, reframes, and conveys an understanding of what it means to be Thai.

The contemporary art festival “Bangkok Art Biennale 2018” is doing exactly that. 75 artists from Thailand and abroad are exhibiting more than 200 works at some 20 venues throughout the capital city from now until 4 February 2019. For many homegrown artists, it’s a golden opportunity to express their ideas, passions, and commitments through various creative arts, ranging from installations and live performances to paintings and sculptures. It’s inevitable that their perceptions of the underlying attributes of Thai-ness is hidden in the works of art they put on display. And it’s entirely up to you to interpret them. We at LivingASEAN.com are proud to bring you some of the masterpieces created your compatriots.

Something about Thai-ness in home goods, décor and accessories

The Spiritual Spaceship 2018 by Thai artist Torlarp Larpjaroensook currently on view at BACC | Photo courtesy of Soopakorn Srisakul

We have grown accustomed to seeing glass-faced armoires crafted of teakwood as part of our childhood experience. Equally familiar are pieces of architecture and a few ceramic vases that look very Thai to us. Over time, these home goods and décor items have changed hands as they get passed on from generation to generation or sold on the local marketplace. Now they can be found at temples. The flowers vases are widely used in the worship of the Buddha and merit making ceremonies across the country. Artist Torlarp Larpjaroensook, an Ayutthaya native, now lives in Chiang Mai. He’s no stranger to traditional art and craft, and he knows exactly what to do with them. His latest masterpiece is the representation of a spacecraft that he creates using old armoires, home goods and accessories that he found lying around unused at the home of a relative. He calls his objet trouvé installation “Spiritual Spaceship”. We call it the power of imagination.

The installation that measures 485 x 815 x 349 centimeters consists of found objects, among them an old armoire, a few vases, iron and copper implements, a spade, computer screens, electric lamps and fragments of various items. Together, they constitute a spacecraft model that he calls “Spiritual Spaceship 2018”. The artist is passionate about spatial relationships and interactions between works of art and exhibition viewers. His works illustrate how even unexciting materials can be modified and eventually come to be appreciated as art. Especially in “Spiritual Spaceship 2018”, there’s something about being Thai in the obsolete items that the artist uses as a medium of expression. In a nutshell, it’s a marriage between old objects and ultramodern architectural design. Who would have thought the final outcome would be a spacecraft with Thai-ness elements on it?

Bangkok Art Biennale 2018 — Basket Tower, an installation by Choi Jeong Hwa on view at BACC | Photo courtesy of Soopakorn Srisakul

One of the magnets for art lovers, Basket Tower is an installation by Choi Jeong Hwa, a big name in South Korea’s contemporary art scene. The soaring sculpture is made of hundreds of brightly colored baskets in various shapes and sizes that Choi single-handedly picked from the marketplace. A versatile artist with many rewards to his name, Choi has authoritative knowledge in effective use of space. His past works include sculptures, installations, fashion and graphic designs. Choi gets most of his inspirations from undistinguished, even recycled materials that he finds in daily living and turns them into amazing works of art. Interestingly, there’s something in the colorful Basket Tower that bespeaks Thai-ness. The brilliant color combinations appear to be sending a message about life being fun, which coincides the quality of being Thai. The sculpture that stands as tall as a five-story building is on display at the Bangkok Art and Culture Center.

Something about Thai-ness in Cultural History

A force to be reckoned with in Thailand’s mixed media art scene, Pannapan Yodmanee was among a few Thai artists to ever win the 11th Benesse Prize that was part of the Singapore Biennale 2016. For her, the fun part of it was the opportunity to compete with fellow artists from 19 countries from across Asia. Apart from the award money, she had the privilege of exhibiting her works at the Benesse Art Site in Naoshima, dubbed Japan’s island of art.

Sediments of Migration by Pannapan Yodmanee | Photo courtesy of Rithirong Chanthongsuk

Sediments of Migration, an installation by Pannapan Yodmanee | Photo courtesy of Singhanart Nakpongphun

Pannapan’s entry into the Bangkok Art Biennale 2018 is a transportable installation titled “Sediments of Migration”. The sculptural exhibition consists of six miniature mountains, hermit figures in yoga poses, and a collection of ballast stones used in stabilizing the cargo ships of ancient times. Inspired by mural paintings found throughout the temple ground of Wat Phra Chetupon, it tells stories of the long established trade and cultural relations between the people of old Siam and their Chinese counterparts.

The artist said in an interview, “Through this installation, I want to communicate to the audience cultural harmony and the assimilation that exists between two peoples from entirely different backgrounds. It turns out to be quite a challenge because the miniature mountain landscapes must be kept intact, while media of expression are added to the scene to produce a pleasing visual effect.” Pannapan was able to do exactly that. Some exhibition viewers have said it wasn’t easy to tell the difference between old and new parts that made up the installation art.

Likewise, it’s the dream of the up-and-coming artist Komkrit Tepthian to feature a page of Thai history and religion in the early Ratanakosin Period. His entry into the Bangkok Art Biennale 2018 is a sculptural installation consisting of two three-meter-tall Giant Twins. It features the likeness of a sculptural Chinese warrior and a giant gatekeeper from classical mythology.

On a related topic, Chinese avant-garde artist Huang Yong Ping presents Dragon Boat, a 16-meter-long sculptural installation depicting a journey by the people who migrated from China to settle in Thailand in the past century. Huang is founder of the Xiamen Dada art movement.

Something about Thai-ness and the Environment

An installation titled “2562++” by Patipat Chaiwitesh | Photo courtesy of Singhanart Nakpongphun

Patipat Chaiwitesh is a new generation artist with a unique way of expressing ideas about events and their impacts on society. He has created works in a number of genres from sculpture to installation to textile art. For the Bangkok Art Biennale 2018, his installation with a futuristic name, “2562++”, has excited the curiosity of many viewers. That’s exactly the intention. The artist sees his work both as a laboratory and means to promote an awareness of the effects of change in the natural surroundings. The message is being conveyed in the artistic representations of fish, birds, and crustaceans that appear to have undergone transformation as the result of environmental degradation by humans. The artist’s work is on display at the East Asiatic Building.

An installation titled "Pyramid Shape Sculpture 2018” by Andrew Sthal | Photo courtesy of Singhanart Nakpongphun — An installation titled “Pyramid Shape Sculpture 2018” by Andrew Sthal | Photo courtesy of Singhanart Nakpongphun

On a related topic, British artist Andrew Stahl presents “Pyramid Shape Sculpture 2018”, a two-meter-tall installation crafted of fragments of toys and found objects that he plucked from the Chao Phraya River. His work raises concern over water quality and the health of rivers in Thailand. Professor Stahl is chair of the Painting Department at the UCL Slade School of Fine Arts. His pyramid-shaped sculpture stands covered in multiple layers of warm-color paint spread over the surfaces that he uses to draw attention to hot issues concerning water pollution problems. Stahl has used his painting skill to chronicle a journey through time and unfamiliar places, where culture and language differ greatly from his own. He specifically made reference to the physical environment of Bangkok from an artist’s perspective and the enormous energy that made it a vibrant destination. Stahl said in an interview: “A journey on the Chao Phraya evokes memories of the time when the first Europeans discovered old Siam and came into the company of the people whose life depended on this river. Professor Stahl’s work is on view at the East Asiatic Building.

The exhibitions listed above are part of a wider art festival that’s going on right now and will run until 3 February 2019. The Bangkok Art Biennale is a major confluence of more than 200 beautiful works by 75 leading artists from 34 countries across the globe. The exhibits are on show at 20 different locations scattered throughout the capital city.

Appreciating the beauty of art and religion at the Bangkok Art Biennale 2018

By livingasean
November 22, 2018
ART,Bangkok Art Biennale 2018,CULTURE,HAPPENING,SPECIAL SCOOP

“Wat” as we know it refers to a place worthy of worship, one that’s occupied by a community of monks living under the vows of Buddhism. Having been in existence from time immemorial, the site that’s thought of as sacred has performed many crucial roles in society, ranging from schoolhouse and herbal apothecary to kitchen and community center. And the list goes on. Take a good look at it, and you’ll find the holy dwelling place also plays a role as museum, where objects and places of religious reverence are preserved and prominently displayed for people to appreciate. It gives the followers of Buddhism a sense of the path to peace and freedom of the mind using, among other things, beautiful works of art as a s medium of communication.

Three famous temples take part in hosting the Bangkok Art Biennale 2018, which is happening now until next February 3. The inaugural festival isn’t centered around just one venue. Rather, it’s putting more than 200 works of art on display at 20 different venues throughout the capital. Among them are Wat Phra Chetupon (Wat Po), Wat Arun (Temple of Dawn), and Wat Prayurawongsawas Woraviharn. The three riverside sanctuaries constitute a hub of religious studies and temple art. For over two centuries, the followers of Buddhism have gathered here to discuss the importance of religion to Thai life and express their beliefs through the various forms of art. For BAB 2018, their artistic exhibitions include:

Artist Jitsing Somboon demonstrates the benefits of an overcoat with shoe pouches that’s part of an installation called Paths of Faith, a.k.a. Faithway | Photo courtesy of Singhanart Nakpongphun

#Faithway (Paths of Faith)
Venue: Temple of the Reclining Buddha, Wat Phra Chetupon (Wat Po)
Artist: Jitsing Somboon

“Paths of Faith” is a fashion art exhibition by Jitsing Somboon, formerly chief designer at the Thai clothing brand “Playhound”. The artist, who is passionate about deeply interactive forms of art, said in an interview: “It got me wondering. Usually people take off their shoes and carry them in their hands as they enter the interior of the temple. This makes it troublesome as they prostrate on the floor with the shoes still in their hands. It’s conflicting with what they’re trying to achieve. In the end, it gives me an idea to create a collection of white micro polyester overcoats with shoe pockets on either side. The shoe pouches are sewn onto the overcoat just above the knees.” Above, the artist demonstrates how the worrisome problem is solved.

The garment with “Faith” in either Thai, English, or Chinese stenciled on its back is given for people to wear as they participate in solemn ceremonies inside the Temple of the Reclining Buddha. It’s an important part of a live installation that’s accompanied by the sounds of coins hitting the inside wall of a donation bowl. The fashion art event is held every day for the duration of the Bangkok Art Biennale 2018.

Giant Twins
Venue: In front of Khao Mo, Wat Arun or the Temple of Dawn
Artist: Komkrit Tepthian

“Giant Twins” refer to a sculptural installation featuring two buddies from different backgrounds. They come together with a common sense of purpose. One is a sculpture made in the likeness of warrior stone sculptures that were used as ballasts on ancient cargo ships from China, the other a Thai style mythical giant gatekeeper whose duty is to protect against all things evils. The twin sculptures crafted of fiberglass stand 3.20 meters tall. The artist purposely puts a beaming smile on their faces as a gesture of welcome to art lovers. As Komkrit puts it, “I want it to be a piece of storytelling that reflects upon the happy and cordial relations between Thai and Chinese people.”

The artist said: “I want the sculptural installation to communicate the importance of trade and cultural ties between the peoples of Thailand and China. The message is being conveyed in the form of artwork featuring giant twins – one being the likeness of a Chinese warrior stone sculpture, the other bearing some resemblance of the iconic Giant of Wat Arun in full regalia. The work gets its inspiration from an inseparable relationship between twin brothers Eng and Chang (1811-1874), whose names have become synonymous with conjoined twins, a.k.a. Siamese twins.

Giant Twins by Komkrit Tepthian, Bangkok Art Biennale 2018 | Photo courtesy of Media Hub

One of Komkrit Tepthian’s sculptural exhibitions, Bangkok Art Biennale 2018 | Photo courtesy of Media Hub

Besides the Giant Twins, the same venue also plays host to a sculptural Garuda, an eagle-like being that Hindu god Vishnu rides as his mount. Made of interlocking plastic bricks from China, it’s an attraction not to be missed among like-minded friends. For the Bangkok Art Biennale 2018, Komkrit has created a collection of figurines similar to popular Japanese miniature toys. You are invited to try your hand at one of Gashapon-style capsule machines. There will be plenty of surprises for those looking for their favorite animal-mounted heroes, including some of the rarest mythological symbols.

Artist Nino Sarabutra with his installation “What will we leave behind?” | Photo courtesy of Media Hub

What Will We Leave Behind?
Venue: Circular Walkway, Main Stupa, Wat Prayurawongsawas Woraviharn
Artist: Nino Sarabutra

An exhibition by Nino Sarabutra has its origin in a question that he raises about life and the purpose of existence. By calling it “What Will We Leave Behind?” the artist sets out to explore spiritual growth and service to humanity. The installation gives a hint that in the end all we are is dust in the wind, and a reminder to do a great service to mankind before we are gone. Nino’s site specific installation consists of 125,000 miniature human skulls made of porcelain. Like a question that requires no answer, the little ceramic sculptures are scattered along the circular walkway of the Main Stupa at Wat Prayurawongsawas. His beliefs and ideals are encapsulated in an E-sarn motto that says: “Death hangs around every step of the way.” He said, “As we wake up each day to find one another, it’s good to know we’re still living. I am fortunate to have the opportunity to set up an exhibition on the walkway around the Main Stupa. There are niches containing cremation ashes nearby. Never have I worked on a site close to death like I do now. This is an installation that reminds us all to do what we want to do, because we never know when our lives will end.”

As Nino puts it, death is a fact of life that no human beings can escape. It’s a question of when, not if. So we need to ask ourselves we are gone, “What will we leave behind?”

Wat Phra Chetupon, Wat Arun, and Wat Prayurawongsawas all have miniature mountain sites known as “Khao Mo”. Each of them is playing host to a site specific installation by Thai artists. Let’s pay them a visit.

Sediments of Migration

Venue: Khao Mo of Wat Phra Chetupon (Wat Po)
Artist: Pannapan Yodmanee

“Sediments of Migration” is a transportable sculptural installation consisting of six miniature mountains, hermit figures in yoga poses, and ballast stones that were used to stabilize the cargo ships of ancient times. It’s inspired by mural paintings found throughout the temple ground of Wat Phra Chetupon.

From the World Inside / Across the Universe

Venue: Khao Mo, Wat Arun (Temple of Dawn)
Artist: Sanitas Pradittasnee

Sanitas Pradittasnee creates this site specific installation after having been inspired by the miniature mountains that she finds scattered around the temple ground of Wat Arun (Temple of Dawn). Her work comes in handy as an invitation to search the mind to understand the inner self, so as to become aware of the goings-on in the world outside. The installation consists of acrylic panels in a brighter shade of red that changes hue as time passes, a subtle reminder that nothing is certain in life.

Turtle Religion
Venue: Khao Mo, Wat Prayurawongsawas Woraviharn
Artist: Krit Ngamsom

Turtle Religion is a mixed media installation that seeks to communicate, in a cheerful and happy way, that there’s more to life than just living. Through this exhibition, the artist sends a message that life is about being useful and honorable. The idea is manifested in the way sculptured turtles carry the iconic shrines in Buddhism on their back.

Turtle Religion by Krit Ngamsom | Photo courtesy of Media Hub

Besides the shows listed above, there are plenty of interesting events on the theme of religion and temple art. The following artists are exhibiting their works in the Riverside Zone of the Bangkok Art Biennale 2018:

At Wat Phra Chetupon or Wat Po:

Huang Yong Ping, Jitsing Somboon, Pannapan Yodmanee, Sakarin Krue-on , Tawatchai Puntusawasdi, Phaptawan Suwannakudt

At Wat Arun (Temple of Dawn):

Sanitas Pradidtasnee, Komkrit Tepthian, Sakarin Krue-on

At Wat Prayurawonsawas Woraviharn:

Arnont Nongyao, Kamol Phaosavasdi, Torlarp Larpjaroensook , Krit Ngamsom, Montien Boonma, Nino Suwannee Sarabutra, Paolo Canevari

Plan Your Trip: Ways to View BAB at Landmark Spots along the Chao Phraya River

By livingasean
November 12, 2018
ART,Bangkok Art Biennale 2018,CULTURE,EXPLORE,HAPPENING,JOURNEY,SPECIAL SCOOP

Bangkok Art Biennale 2018, (BAB) is an art fair which will transform Bangkok into a city for art lovers. Famous artists from many corners of the world have brought their works here to be shown at 20 landmark sites.

/// THAILAND ///
Story: Favforward.com /// Photography: Rithirong Chanthongsuk, Methee Samantong, Anupong Chaisukkasem, Singhanart Nakpongphun, Soopakorn Srisakul, Media Hub, Courtesy of the Artist

The show spreads over two zones: 1) the Chao Phraya riverside and 2) the heart of the city. Shows in the urban zone are easily accessible by public transport such as BTS or MRT. The Chao Phraya riverside zone is also easy to get to, but for comfortable travel, easy on the physical body and with no worry about getting lost, we’ve prepared a guide – including parking suggestions – for getting around to see that great art down by the riverside.

(Download here)

30 Works of Art You Can’t Miss at BAB 2018

BTS Saphan Taksin, your starting point

BTS Saphan Taksin Station is the perfect connecting point between urban and riverside zones, so if going by BTS or other public transport you’ll want to make this your destination for catching the Chao Phraya Express Boat. Arriving on BTS, take Exit 2 and it’s a quick walk to the pier where the Chao Phraya Express Boats, which you’ll recognize by their orange flags, dock. Fare is 15 baht per person.

Going by private car? There’s a parking lot close by the BTS Saphan Taksin, next to Wat Yannawa at the end of Charoen Krung Soi 52, a very convenient walk to the Express Boat. From 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. the charge is 60 baht per day; every hour after 5 p.m. costs an additional 10 baht.

The East Asia Building

We recommend taking the Chao Phraya Express Boat from Taksin Station and getting off at Oriental Pier (Tha Oriental). Just a short walk from there brings you to the beautiful Renaissance Revival architecture of that venerable old building.

It’s less convenient to drive your car here, as the East Asia Building has no parking lot. Leaving the car at the Soi Charoenkrung 52 lot and going by boat is a much better idea.

Zero by Elmgreen and Dragset / Venue: The East Asiatic Company Building

Diluvium by Lee Bul / Venue: East Asiatic Company Building

Mandarin Oriental Hotel

This is quite close to the first destination, so if your plan is to admire the fantastic art work at the East Asia Building, you should stop by the Oriental as well.

Taking the Chao Phraya Express Boat, get off at the Oriental Pier just as for the East Asia Building. The Mandarin Oriental also has its own boats that can be hired for pickup and drop-off.

Parking? The Oriental’s parking garage is free for guests only, so those using it for convenient access to the art show have to pay the Hotel’s standard service charge. Remember, it has limited space, and so might be full.

O.P Place

An old trade center and a fixture in the Phra Nakhon locality since 1908, O.P Place is one more BAB art venue that’s accessible by Chao Phraya Express Boat and the Oriental Pier. You’ll find it by walking just 270 meters from Tha Oriental, and, of course, it’s convenient to the BAB exhibitions at the Mandarin Oriental and the East Asia building.

O.P. Place has a parking lot which is free for three hours with a parking ticket stamped by one of the shops, services, or restaurants in the trade center. Without a stamp it is 200 baht per hour.

The Peninsula Bangkok

With the Express Boat, again you get off at the Oriental Pier. This time, since the Peninsula Hotel is on the opposite bank, you should take the free boat service between the Mandarin Oriental and the Peninsula.

For those of our readers who must take your own cars, the Peninsula Hotel provides free parking for art lovers. Simply tell the parking official that you’ve come for the BAB art fair, and there’s no charge. We’re keeping this a bit on the Q.T., because the BAB fair lasts a full 4 months and we anticipate that this special service may change before long.

Wat Prayurawongsawas Warawihan

This is one of the three temple locations chosen for BAB art exhibitions: take the Express Boat to the Memorial Bridge/Saphan Phut Pier and it’s right across the bridge, a short pleasant walk with some great river views.

For the automobile-bound, Wat Prayurawongsawas Warawihan has its own parking lot, free for pilgrims and worshippers. Others need to pay 20 baht per hour, but we have no information for our readers on parking there specifically for Bangkok Art Biennale viewing.

Very close by, on the Chao Phraya riverside, there is also the Municipal Sanitation Officials’ parking lot, or on Thesakit Soi 1, where there’s free public parking but it’s rather limited, so a bit chancy. Cars may also be left at Wat Kallayanamitr Woramahawiharan (Wat Kanlayanamit): to get to BAB from there you’ll have to walk through the Kudeejeen District.

Another choice would be to drop the car at the Pak Klong Market parking lot behind Yodpiman River Walk. There’s an automatic system here which can hold as many as 360 cars. Service charge for 4 hours is 40 baht, and it’s open 24 hours. From there you’ll have to cut through to the Chao Phraya and cross Memorial Bridge to reach Wat Prayurawongsawas Warawihan. It’s a bit of a hike, but definitely a secure and easy place to leave your car.

Phra Chetupon Vimol Mongkolam (Wat Pho)

Coming from Wat Prayurawongsawas Warawihan you’ll have to cross back over and catch the Chao Phraya Express Boat at either Memorial Bridge/Saphan Phut or Yodpiman Pier, and go to the Wat Arun/Tha Tian Pier, where there is also a boat crossing to the next destination of Wat Arun.

To go straight to Wat Pho by private car, there’s the “Soi by Wat Pho” parking lot at the Chetuphon Street fork, which charges 20 baht per hour, but there’s so little space there you won’t be able to count on it, so make sure you have a backup plan.

Nearby is also the Tha Maharaj Pier parking lot, but this also has limited space and is always full. There’s sometimes also parking at the Navy Club, if there is no event scheduled there.

Wat Arun Ratchawararam Ratchawaramahawihan

Wat Arun Ratchawararam Ratchawaramahawihan

When you’ve viewed the art work at Wat Pho to your heart’s content, take the boat back across the river to Wat Arun.

Driving in on Arun Amarin Road, it’s pretty hard to find parking by Wat Arun. It’s common to park on the side of the soi by the Temple (Soi Wang Derm), but we don’t recommend it because 1) space is limited, and 2) it’s not very safe. Our suggestion is to leave the car elsewhere, e.g. back at the Pak Klong Market, Soi by Wat Pho, or the Navy Club, and just take the Chao Phraya Express Boat and/or a boat that crosses to the other side.

Bank of Thailand Learning Center

Going by Chao Phraya Express Boat, we recommend getting off at Thewet Pier.

If bringing your car here, just use the Bank of Thailand Learning Center parking lot. The Learning Center has free parking for 4 hours with a stamped parking ticket. If you’re staying longer, or don’t get your ticket stamped, it’s 20 baht per hour.

Dragon Boat by Huang Yong Ping / Venue: BOT Learning Center

This is just a rough plan for readers interested in visiting the Chao Phraya River Zone exhibitions of Bangkok Art Biennale 2018, an international festival of contemporary art held from October 19, 2018 until February 3, 2019 at 20 important Bangkok locations.

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30 Works of Art You Can’t Miss at BAB 2018

By livingasean
November 5, 2018
ART,Bangkok Art Biennale 2018,CULTURE,HAPPENING,SPECIAL SCOOP

Bangkok has come alive with all the spectaculars happening all around us. The Bangkok Art Biennale 2018 is on right now with more than 200 works of art on display at 20 venues throughout the city. For the record, 75 artists from 34 countries are exhibiting at this very moment. Naturally, you are spoilt for choice because there are so many good shows to go to. If you’re still not sure where to start, Living ASEAN has put together a checklist of 30 amazing pieces that every art lover must see. Don’t miss out!

/// THAILAND ///
Story: Singhanart Nakpongphun /// Photography: Rithirong Chanthongsuk, Methee Samantong, Anupong Chaisukkasem, Singhanart Nakpongphun, Soopakorn Srisakul, Media Hub, Courtesy of the Artist

01 | Basket Tower by Choi Jeong Hwa
Venue: BACC, Floors 1-5

Rising high into the air, a tower of brightly colored baskets is lovingly crafted by South Korean artist Choi Jeong Hwa. The soaring sculpture is currently on show at BACC. His inspiration is encapsulated in his motto, “Your heart is my art.” More works of art by the happy and lively South Korean can be seen at Park Nai Lert Heritage Home and department stores in Siam Square, Chidlom, and Rajaprasong.

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02 | Rekayasa Genetika (REGEN) by Heri Dono
Venue: BACC Floor 7

An installation featuring puppets on strings portrays the human race as the outcome of mutation. What is perceived as a breed of mechanical humans is the work of Indonesian artist Heri Dono. The models controlled by strings are crafted of fiberglass, wood, electronic gadgets, and electric fans. The exhibit gets its inspiration from Indonesia’s shadow puppetry known as Wayang. Find out what message it tries to communicate at BACC. Other shows like it can be seen at the East Asiatique Building and the Peninsula Hotel Bangkok.

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03 | Tape Bangkok 2018 by Numen For Use Design Collective
Venue: BACC Floor 7

An installation by a group of German artists is in the form of a tunnel fastened with clear adhesive tapes. The “Numen For Use Design Collective” has exhibited at major art scenes from Frankfurt to Paris to Ohio. In Bangkok, the Tape Tunnel is being staged at BACC.

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04 | A Possible Island? by Marina Abramović Institute (MAI)
Venue: BACC Floor 8

A durational performance by Greek artist Yiannis Pappas

A performance art exhibit by Thavisak Moolasawat of Thailand

Myanmar artist Lin Htet is live at a durational performance.

An endurance art exhibition titled “A Possible Island?” is happening on the 8th Floor of the Bangkok Art and Culture Center (BACC). A series of performance art shows are presented by 8 students from Marina Abramović Institute. Among them, Myanmar artist Lin Htet puts himself in a barbed wire cage and stands still in protest against human rights abuse and the suffering of a Muslim minority in Myanmar. In an interview with Baan Lae Suan Magazine, the artist says that the stateless Rohingya people are in his thoughts and prayers. While there, take the time to experience “The Method”, a performance and immaterial art show going on now until November 11, 2018 from Tuesday thru Sunday, 12 noon to 20.00 hours.

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05 | Shelter from the Stars by Marc Schmitz
Venue: BACC

Measuring 5 meters wide, Shelter from the Stars is a large sculpture by Marc Schmitz. The German artist and curator is known for his interest in the openness of space which, he thinks, provides a different kind of experience that cannot be found in the city. Open spaces provide environmental benefits and shelter from confusion and disturbances happening all around us. The exhibit sends a message that people have got to stop hurting one another. Life doesn’t have to be that way.

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06 | “I Carry on Living with the Pumpkins” (Red) by Yayoi Kusama
Venue: Siam Paragon, First floor, Fashion Gallery 3

07 | “I Carry on Living with the Pumpkins” (Silver) by Yayoi Kusama
Venue: Siam Paragon, First floor, Fashion Gallery 3

08 | Inflatable Pumpkin Balloons
Venue: Central World

The exhibits listed above are the works of Yayoi Kusama, Japan’s most prominent contemporary artist. The red pumpkin with black polka dots and the silver fruit with multiple colors are part of a collection titled “I Carry on Living with the Pumpkins”. Sometimes called “The Princess of Polka Dots”, Kusama works mainly in sculpture and installation and is widely known for her obsession with endless dots, nets, and mirrored space. The 89-year-old artist continues to create amazing works of art, most notably installations.

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09 | “Mamuang” for BAB 2018
Venues: Siam Square 1, Siam Paragon, Central World, and the EmQuartier

“Mamuang” for BAB 2018 by Wisut Ponnimit

Wisut Ponnimit is the creator of “Miss Mamuang” and her four-legged friend “Manao”. Ten versions of the fictitious animation characters are debuting at the Bangkok Art Biennale. Animation fans, don’t miss out!

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10 | “Your Dog” by Yoshitomo Nara
Venue: BAB Box @ One Bangkok

The Japanese artist is well known for his paintings and sculptures of children and animals, the most famous of whom being a childlike character who appears sweet yet sinister. Nara rose to fame during the 1990s Japanese pop art movement. His works of art have been exhibited worldwide. For the Bangkok Art Biennale, Nara is debuting “Your Dog”, a 4.5-meter-tall canine character made of aluminum currently on show at BAB Box @ One Bangkok.

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Bangkok Art Biennale 2018 And Exotic Art Materials

By livingasean
October 18, 2018
ART,BAANLAESUAN CLASSROOM,Bangkok Art Biennale 2018,CULTURE,HAPPENING,SPECIAL SCOOP

When the subject of art comes up, people tend to think of canvas paintings or sculptures, but there is a group of artists in this world who love working with more unusual materials. In the Bangkok Art Biennale 2018, which runs from October 19, 2018 to February 3, 2019 at 20 major locations all over Bangkok, you’ll see how sticky tape, cheap plastic baskets, propellers, or even fish can be used to create art. Now, before the festival starts, we’re going to give you some highlights: works made of unconventional materials and with non-traditional artistic methods.

/// THAILAND ///
Story: Nawapat Dusdul /// Photography: Methee Samantong

Material: Plastic baskets
Work: Happy Happy Project: Basket Chandelier
Artist: Choi Jeong Hwa
Venue: Bangkok Art and Culture Center

Choi Jeong Hwa is a South Korean artist and designer who favors the use of simple materials procuced by industrial systems for his richly colorful installation art creations such as the piece “Happy Together,” which put household items such as plastic baskets, trays, and colorful water glasses under elaborate lighting in a showing at the Kiasma Museum of Contemporary Art in Helsinki, Finland. Or his use of over 2 million plastic containers to cover the Seoul Olympic Stadium in 2008. For the Bangkok Art Biennale 2018, Choi walked around markets in Thailand himself, buying up plastic baskets to create a huge colorfully sculptured chandelier. Bring your camera, you can snap a photo of it the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre! Anyone interested in enjoying more of Choi’s delightful works can see them at the Nai Lert Park Heritage Home, as well as in various merchandise outlets in the Siam Square/Chit Lom/Rajaprasong area. For today, we have some pictorial examples of Choi’s work that you’ll all be able to enjoy in person in just a few days.

Happy Happy Project: Inflatable Robot – Black

Happy Happy Project: Inflatable Flower – Pink

Material: Silver reflective plastic sheet
Art work: Diluvium
Artist: Lee Bul
Venue: East Asiatic Building

Diluvium is an installation art piece by Lee Bul. It’s a temporary structure built up from steel boxes welded together and surfaced with an adhesive material and light-reflective plastic sheet. Lee is a South Korean female artist associated with many branches of art: painting, live shows, sculpture, installation art, and video. For more than 20 years she has held showings in museums and participated in many important art festivals all over the world. One aspect of her work that brought her to worldwide renown involved sculptures that imagine future eras by showing worlds of the future. Clearly the piece Diluvium is one of these. At Bangkok Art Biennale 2018 you’ll find Diluvium in the East Asiatic Building. The way its futuristic concept is set in an environmental context is especially interesting, full of historical references, and the end product has a rare beauty.

Photo: Courtesy of Junyong Cho, Korean Cultural Centre UK, London.

Material: Clear plastic tape
Art work: Tape Bangkok 2018 (Tape Tunnel)
Artist: Numen/For Use Collective Design
Venue: Bangkok Art and Culture Center

The handsome devils of the Numen artist group, as they sit in Tape, a big construction made of sticky tape and clear plastic (Photo: courtesy of the artists)

Numen/For Use Collective Design (Numen) is a group of three collaborating artists and designers from Berlin, Germany: Sven Jonke, Christoph Katzler, and Nikola Radeljković. The remarkable works that made this group famous are abstract, involve unique, new environmental dimensions, incorporate industrial design, and play around with open space. Many of this group’s creations on direct relationships between materials and people. For instance their piece Net Hasselt, shown in 2011 at Belgium’s Z33 House for Contemporary Art, strung hammocks together which people could climb around in as they floated like dark clouds inside the building. Then there was String Vienna, a sculpture of ropes in horizontal and vertical lines inside a giant balloon. The ropes were strong enough to support the weight of people clambering inside without risking a fall.

At Bangkok Art Bienniale 2018 you’ll be able to see Tape (a tunnel of sticky tape and clear plastic). This work, which lifted the reputation of this group to a whole new level, involves the use of clear tape stuck together to form a tunnel large enough for people to get inside and comfortably move around in. Numen has shown this type of work in locations such as Frankfurt, Paris, and the U.S. state of Ohio. As Bangkok entered this queue, our Living ASEAN work team went to meet and greet the Numen tunnel tape installation team just as they arrived to start work on the tunnel which will welcome Thai and foreign visitors to the 7^th floor of the Bangkok Art and Culture Center. The picture you see here is an exclusive “behind-the-scenes” shot taken on the first day of installation. The Numen team assured us that the finished work will look quite different: the tape will be wrapped, wrapped, and wrapped, little by little, until the day the exposition begins or the tape runs out.

Material: Fiberglass, wood, electronic apparatus, and propellers.
Art work: Rekayasa Genetika (REGEN)
Artist: Heri Dono
Location: Bangkok Art and Culture Center

Heri Dono (photo courtesy of the artist)

60-year-old Indonesian contemporary artist Heri Dono believes that “Art is the primary component of happiness.” His art not only delivers aesthetic pleasure, but has hidden meanings that point to distortions and call for social justice – possibly influenced by his coming of age around 1965, when Indonesian politics involved a lot of violence. One of his works is Rekayasa Genetika (REGEN), puppet-like dolls in the form of genetically modified humans covered in machinery. This was inspired by wayang, the Indonesian shadow play, a folk tradition very similar to Thailand’s own nang talung. These miniature sculptures are made up of a variety of materials, including fiberglass, wood, electronics, and propellers. We were quietly informed that all the Rekayasa Genetika puppet dolls had traveled to the 7^th floor of the Bangkok Art and Culture Center and were awaiting installation. After seeing them we can say in just a single phrase: absolutely not to be missed! Watch all the announcements.

Materials: Stuffed animals and mixed media
Art Work: Chao Phraya 2018
Artist: Patiphat Chaiyawithate
Location: East Asiatic Building

Patipat Chaiwitesh, artist and designer with a penchant for art made from everyday objects such as chopsticks, combs, and textiles, or even bananas, is someone who pays close and constant attention to changes in culture, society, and the environment. After graduating in Visual Arts from Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Fine Arts he received awards and participated in shows at various venues in Japan, France, and Germany. For Bangkok Art Biennale 2018, Patipat is the only artist using taxidermy-stuffed animals to create art. His works in the East Asiatic Building will take you into a “lab room of the future,” with sculptures of animals – including fish, birds, and shrimp – foraging along a river bank: each species displays a physical condition and behavior changed by an environment affected by human activity. Patipat explained the process behind the use of these preserved animals as artist’s material. He begins by searching the markets to find and purchasing suitable animals that have died. These he takes to the lab room of the Chiang Mai University Veterinary Department, enlisting experts there to preserve the animal’s shape so it will not decay or deteriorate. Patipht’s own work begins at that point. When the Living ASEAN and Bangkok Art Biennale 2018 work teams came to visit Patipat Chaiwitesh’s work studio we made a video clip here for us all to keep.

All these exciting exhibits make up only a fraction of the more than 200 artistic works that you’ll be able to get up close and personal and feast your eyes on. View to your heart’s content, and come back again, as the Bangkok Art Biennale 2018 festival of contemporary art will be here for more than three months, October 19, 2018 to February 3, 2019. Follow developments at Living ASEAN and baanlaesuan.com.

Army of Thai Artists in Bangkok Art Biennale 2018

By livingasean
October 9, 2018
ART,Bangkok Art Biennale 2018,CULTURE,HAPPENING,PEOPLE,SPECIAL SCOOP

Besides the seven Thai artists featured in this article, we have to tell you two more have now shown up! Wisut Ponnimit and Kawita Vatanajyankur have also joined this veritable army of not-to-be-missed Thai artists at Bangkok Art Biennale 2018. It goes all the way to February 3, 2019, so who’s coming along with us?

/// Thailand ///
Story: Singhanart Nakpongphun /// Photography: Nutthawat Songsang, Singhanart Nakpongphun, Rithirong Chanthongsuk

Montien Boonma (1953-2000)

Montien Boonma — Photography: Manit Sriwanichpoom

Ajarn (teacher) Montien is a legendary artist whose contributions to Thai contemporary art is nearly unparalleled, consistently mixing Thai and Western artistic concepts to express Thailand’s character in a distinctly modern way. He utilized common materials found in upcountry provincial Thailand to express “Thainess” in a way which does not fit into a preconfigured pattern, not everything neatly joined in the center, a new concept in that time.

Montien received bachelor’s and master’s degrees in painting from the Faculty of Painting, Sculpture, and Visual Arts from Silpakorn University, following that with graduate study in France at École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux Arts and the Université de Paris VIII. The 1990s saw him doing prolific work in installation art, mixed media, and sculpture, reflecting his thoughts about nature, society, and industrial advances amid rapid economic and societal development. At this time his wife became ill, and his works began to turn towards framing fundamental questions of Buddhist philosophy: meditations on birth, living, and dying.

After his wife’s death, Ajarn Montien traveled more extensively abroad, showing his work and immersed in his art, until he, too became ill, with cancer. Somehow even illness didn’t hold his creative energy back, as he worked almost until the day of his death at the tragically young age of 48 years.

Montien’s works have been shown in many countries, including France and the United States. At the 51^st Venice Biennale (2006) in Italy he exhibited a piece which has returned for Bangkok Art Biennale 2018: “Zodiac House” (The House of Star Signs).” This is made up of 6 metal sculptures representing the upper sections of Catholic cathedrals, which he designed in Stuttgart, Germany while his body was ravaged with of pain. The Zodiac House set will be on display at Wat Prayoonwongsawat Worawihan.

Tawatchai Puntusawasdi

A devoted follower of Montien Boonma and himself a master sculptor, Tawatchai is widely known for complex shapes created through intricate fine calculations, constructed with elaborate technical skill and fired by tremendous talent. Each of his works has a remarkable shape that plays with the observer’s lines of vision. The volume and size of Tawachai’s works are likely to challenge viewer with the many philosophical questions they bring to mind. Tawachai’s work has received world-class prizes such as the Honor Prize at the 1st Biennial Sculpture Exhibition in Mexico, The Pollock Krasner Foundation Award from the USA, and the Grand Prize for Sculpture at Japan’s Osaka Triennale. He has exhibited at Biennale Art Fairs in Sydney, Jakarta, Venice, and now here he is at Bangkok Art Biennale 2018! You can see an elegant wooden sculpture of his in a magnificent setting at Wat Pho: see the design sketch detail below.

Sanitas Pradittasanee

Sanitas began her career as a landscape architect. After graduating from the Faculty of Architecture at Chulalongkorn University and worked in landscape architecture with Colin K. Okashimo & Associates Singapore for four years before deciding to follow her heart and going for a master’s degree in Fine Arts at Chelsea College of Art and Design in London. With a solid foundation in landscape architecture and a true love of installation art, she returned home to Thailand to set up her own establishment, Sanitas Studio. Not long afterwards, she began receiving one international award after another. The work “Khao Moh” (Mythical Escapism) is a large representation of a mountain tiled with rectangular pieces of glass. She received a lot of attention for this work, receiving a “Commended with Merit” award at the 2015 Emerging Architecture Awards. She was also chosen to participate in Aesthetica Art Prize 2015 as one of a hundred longlisted artists from 60 countries worldwide, with her name entered in the Aesthetica Art Prize Anthology. Another work is “Equilibrium,” where porcelain dolls decorated with indigo designs are blown up and down by wind. This work was invited to be shown on Songdo beach at Pusan, South Korea at Sea Art Festival 2013.

From the World Inside / Across the Universe by Sanitas Pradittasnee

Here at Bangkok Art Biennale 2018, Sanitas has recreated “Khao Moh,” but in a new version and with site-specific installation. The new Khao Moh can be seen at Wat Arun.

Torlarp Larpjaroensook

Born and raised on a houseboat in Ayutthaya Province, Torlarp finished studies at the College of Fine Arts there before continuing on for his bachelor’s degree at Chiang Mai University Faculty of Fine Arts. Torlarp mixes it up, using paintings, sculpture, installation art, and design art to explore possibilities in relationships between art and society. In 2008 he created “Gallery Seescape” (Alternative Art Space) in Chiang Mai, and 2009 brought “3147966,” a moving gallery built from a modified vehicle, where he invites international artists to come display their work by driving it around to various communities.

Just as with other Thai artists participants in Bangkok Art Biennale 2018, Torlarp’s work has been featured at international exhibitions. One of these is “Bookshelf,” which 8Q Singapore Art Museum retained in its own collection. Torlarp was selected by Koganecho Bazaar Yokohama in Japan as artist in residence, and his work was shown at the Yokohama Art Festival. This year in Bangkok, Torlarp’s dazzling work “Spiritual Space Ship” is on display. Its theme is travel to the past and future, and is constructed of ordinary, everyday materials.

Patipat Chaiwitesh

Patipat’s designs rely on his constant observations of changes in culture, society, and the environment. After a bachelor’s from the Department of Visual Arts at Chulalongkorn University, he received awards at venues such as Nitthassakan Ploy Saeng (Let There Be Light Exhibition) at the 2010 TCDC (Thailand Creative & Design Center) and the 2011 Tokyo Designer Week fair in Japan. In 2012 he won the Award for Excellence in Product Design at the Hoegaarden “Different by Nature” Design Contest. Design work he did jointly with a Thai furniture brand was shown at the Maison & Object fair in France and at Germany’s IF Design Award show.

In order to gain more experience abroad, Patipat went on to study at the École supérieure des beaux-arts TALM in Angers, France, and produced many works that made it to the final round of such competitions as the cover contest for 50th Mark Magazine, the clothing pattern “Dare to Dream” Design Awards, and the famous website Designboom. He also had works entered in Exposition Art Capital 2015 at Grand Palais in France and Sweden’s 2016 Stockholm Furniture Faire 2016. By 2016, Patipat was clearly an artist of the new generation, with a unique characteristic outlook towards his surroundings and expert in numerous fields: sculpture, painting, installation art, and textile art, and exhibits all over Thailand.

At Bangkok Art Biennale 2018 fairgoers are invited to the East Asiatic Building, into a lab room of the future where Patipat shows us sculptures of animals foraging along the river’s edge: fish, birds, and shrimp, all with appearance and behavior much modified due to the effects humans will have had on the environment.

Dujdao Vadhanapakorn

An artist whose skills in acting, directing, and dancing developed over 16 years, Dujdao Vadhanapakorn is a member of a “physical theater” drama group that focuses on societal issues. Her expertise in visual design brings her to use materials emphasizing communication. She calls her acting “Experiential Performance,” where the substance of work is in the audience experience.

Dujdao’s work began to take on individual identity after she received a master’s in Dance Movement Therapy from Goldsmiths, University of London, in 2009. Having studied and worked in motion-based psychotherapy, Dujdao was interested in subtleties in human thought and awareness. She makes close connections between humans and the problems of society, drawing on psychological and psychotherapeutic theories to create her own individualistic work. This is especially clear in works from the period 2013- 2017: “(In)sensitivity,” shown in the B-Floor Room, “Secret Keeper,” at the Bangkok Art and Culture Center, and “Blissfully Blind,” which you can see at Bangkok CityCity Gallery. All three of these speak to aspects of human coexistence: awareness of one’s own feelings in relation to those of others, interpersonal trust in safe spaces, and agreement among those with different perceptions. All these are based on an experience shared with the viewers.

At this event Dujdao showcases the art of body movement, which communicates the inspiration behind all her works shown at the Bangkok Art Biennale 2018.

Pannaphan Yodmanee

Pannaphan, a mixed-media artist and burning light of the new generation, has received many international awards, debuting with awards of excellence in consecutive years for the project “Jittrakam Bualuang” (Sacred Lotus Painting). Her mixed media works combine painting and installation art with a daring individual talent that plays on societal conflict and satire with a keenness that has brought her rapid domestic and international acclaim. In 2015 her project “Thailand Eyes” was shown at Saatchi Gallery in London, and at only 29 years of age the next year she was one of only a few Thai artists ever so honored as she won the 11th Benesse Prize, emerging from competition with 63 artists from 19 Southeast and South Asian countries at the Singapore Biennale 2016. This resulted in an invitation to exhibit at the Benesse Art Site on Naoshima Island in Japan.

At Bangkok Art Biennale 2018 her work is shown at Khao Mor in Wat Pho. Pannaphan told us that her works generally dealing with religious topics are shown in museums, but this time she is extremely excited about actually showing at a sacred site.

These and many other art works both Thai and foreign are now being shown all over Bangkok, as Bangkok Art Biennale 2018 writes another important page in the annals of art history.

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