Bensley Design Studios is a design firm with many world-class hotels to its credit. Notable among these are the Four Seasons Tented Camp, the Four Seasons Koh Samui, the Kempinski Udaipur, the Siam, and the Indigo Pearl to name a few. Founded by Bill Bensley, who collabed with business partner Jirachai Rengthong, the firm has won acclaim for outstanding works in architecture, interior decoration, garden design and landscape development.
“Botanica Garden” is a nursery in Chiang Mai that’s home to hundreds of leaf plant species that Jirachai, an avid horticulturist, has cultivated over many years. It’s an oasis of beautifully maintained greenery that proves a perfect complement to the works of Bensley Design Studios. Some of the young plants grown here are offered for purchase at Kham Thiang Market, Chiang Mai’s largest botanical marketplace.
Sunlight gives bromeliad plants their bright color and beautiful form. Bromeliad requires direct sun for only half a day. In a nursery, mesh fabric capable of 50 to 60 percent protection will suffice.Variegated Malayan spurge trees are succulent plants in the Euphorbia family. They thrive in full sun. Plant stems will grow tall and turn mostly green if placed in low light conditions.
For several decades Jirachai has nurtured and grown foliage plants and tropical species from across the globe at this nursery. He started out with varieties of bromeliad, cordyline or good luck plants, philodendron, aglaonema, anthurium, calathea, and agave before moving on to a detailed study in plant behavior and the breeding of plant specimens by natural processes.
As Jirachai put it, “Normally, after we buy unfamiliar species native to the equatorial climate zone, we try propagating them from the parent stock and observe how they respond to new environments. Every detail counts. Some species perform better in Chiang Mai producing brighter color leaves than they do in Bangkok. Interestingly, others fare badly when planted in the ground. Some species thrive in full sun, while others can tolerate partial shade. We also discover that cordyline or good luck plants perform better in soil than in organic coconut husk pieces. They don’t shed leaves when planted in soi, but they do when put in coconut husk.”
Philodendron is no stranger among garden growers. Available in many different colors and leaf forms, they are good for interior decoration and make great garden attractions.Panama hat palms are known for beautiful leaves that resemble fan blades. They don’t grow very tall, which makes them suitable for planting as privacy screen.Plants in the family Araceae come in a wide variety of growth forms, both terrestrial and aquatic.
Offering an open view of the surrounding area, the nursery is canopied by black mesh fabric that gives protection from the sun. Plants that thrive in partial sun are grown here. They are safe in the hands of experienced gardeners.
“Propagation by air layering is a method that should be used in a bid to prevent plants from shedding leaves. Once roots have sufficiently developed, the stem can be cut from the parent plant and potted up. This allows the new plant to grow into naturally beautiful form. As for philodendron, coconut husk pieces are preferred over soil,”Jirachai explained. Apart from the propagation of plant species for decoration and sale, the nursery also specializes in cross breeding to produce desirable features in one offspring. Some young plants are so original and unique that they can fetch as much as a million baht.
Foliage plants, such as croton, enjoy full sun to produce brilliant color.
“Caring for plants the right way, only Osmocoat fertilizer is added to soil once every three months, while 16-16-16 fertilizer is used once a month. As for bromeliad, ferns, and philodendron, Osmocoat alone will suffice. This fertilizer is effective in stimulating growth in potted plants. The same applies to ferns, but it should be diluted with water and given using sprayers.”
“Pests that attack these plants aren’t many. They include varieties of coccidae, or scale insects, and fungal infections that happen in the rainy season. Sprayed insecticides will likely stay long enough to have effect. Philodendron and anthurium can be raised as indoor houseplants. Give them just enough water and avoid being waterlogged. Place containers where it’s well ventilated. To protect against fungal infections, avoid moist or wet locations.”
That concludes our handy hints and a guide to leaf plant care. For more information, drop by Botanica Garden, or give them a visit at Kham Thiang Market next time you’re in Chiang Mai.
BANGKOK / It’s fair to say that, without considering disruptions brought on by the coronavirus pandemic, café and restaurant businesses had ranked with fast-growing industries in Thailand. They could survive the tough competition from established and new players in the marketplace. Besides good food and drinks, design has played a crucial role in business. By knowing their market niche and formulating a unique business plan, they were able to attract more consumer love to their brands.
party / space / design, or p / s / d for short, is a design studio behind the sweet smell of success of leading café and restaurants in Thailand. Led by Suparat Chinathaworn, founder and CEO, the company has drawn on years of experience in business and design in creating restaurant spaces that are not only different, but also exceptionally good. It was a pleasure to have interviewed Suparat Chinathaworn. And here are his views, goals, and experience over the past ten years.
Q: What is it that’s inspired p / s / d to make a difference?
A: “Within the past two years we have focused on making hands-on practice available to our colleagues. USB Café is in fact a Coffee Lab and training grounds where baristas exercise and perfect their skill from actually doing it instead of reading about it or seeing it being done. It’s about doing real work under real pressure and be able to meet consumer needs. We aren’t just designers. We must strive to produce outcomes that are different from everything else on the market.”
USB Café, the coffee room that’s part of the p / s / d office space, is used for smart business experiments. Test results provide the basis for a good working environment.
Q: Opening a shop isn’t the finish line, but the beginning of growth. Can you elaborate on that?
A: “I believe that consumer behavior is a very important thing you need to know in running a business. It’s a relationship based on mutual understanding. After a shop is opened, I always ask my clients if everything is going well. It’s a way to find out if the model that we’ve designed is working or not. Often we will choose a business plan that’s doable within their powers. This means that the clients have a pretty good understanding of how a restaurant works. Plus, they love doing it and are ready to give their time and resources to it. A start-up isn’t the finish line, only the beginning. They have to think long-term.”
Q: Beyond design, it’s experience. What’s your thought on that?
A: “Restaurants and cafés are public spaces. So we have to make them special or otherwise different from the place where one lives. We have to make sure that people come away impressed with what they’ve experienced and want to come back. We don’t just focus on design. Instead, we pay particular attention to the kind of experience that people get. It’s comparable to movie making, in which stories are told through a series of film footage of various events that have taken place. We’re like the movie producer who has to envisage the entirety of future events – everything from people arriving to entering by the front door, from making orders to drinking, taking photos, and checking things out on social media. You name it. We look thoughtfully at it in order to ensure a pleasant experience for everyone.”
Q: What do you mean by younger yet more in-depth?
A: “Ten years had passed since we opened our office. And we felt like kids again. We went back to playing toys and enjoyed having fun. Meanwhile, we’re spending a lot of time deep in our thoughts. We’ve come to appreciate of the atmosphere of a place that’s the quintessence of Thainess. We’ve found the right balance between business owners and the general public. Our design isn’t about just being cool. Rather, it’s the quality of forming a pleasing environment and a space that’s different, unique, and easily understood.”
Q: How do you see p / s / d ten years from now?
A: “Now we’re interested in the concept of Specialty Coffee. People say it’s a stage in the learning process of how to effectively run a restaurant business. It’s like climbing a three-step staircase, starting with Specialty Coffee before moving on to Hidden Bar, and Fine Dining. We expect the latter options will follow in the next ten years. For the future the focus of attention may switch from restaurants and cafés to consulting business. I have fun doing analyses for the purpose of presenting new ideas and new experience to people. It’s something I always enjoy doing.”
Q: In your view, what does the future look like for restaurant business?
A: “In the big picture, the food and beverage industry is growing at a fast pace. Eating and drinking is the reality of life that cannot be replaced by online activities. It’s like living in two worlds where we cannot have one without the other. Thais in general treat eating and drinking as being very important and deserving attention. Many actually enjoy restaurant hopping to try out new items on the menu. It’s not about telling good restaurants apart from bad ones. Rather, it’s about discerning differences among them. Some places are preferred for their pleasant atmosphere that’s attractive in photographs, while others may be famous for good food and friendly people. This has resulted in us having to keep abreast of changes to be able to design an “experience space” that finds the right balance. All things considered, it’s an on-going development.”
Find out more about p / s / d at: www.partyspacedesign.com
Contact info:
party / space / design
34 Thonglor 20 (Chamchan) Room 23A-26A,
Sukhumvit 55, North-Klongton, Wattana,
Bangkok 10110 Thailand
Email: info@partyspacedesign.com
Story: Wuthikorn Sut
Photographs: Anupong
Jutamas Buranajade and Piti Amraranga are designer laureates and founders of the studio “o-d-a”, which is short for “Object Design Alliance”. They’re widely regarded for their original and unique creativeness.
Jutamas, who specializes in product design, is a graduate of Silpakorn University, while Piti did his graphic design degree at the Faculty of Decorative Arts, the same alma mater.
For the design duo, their career is a continuous journey to experience every aspect of art and design. Piti started out as a complete novice in the field of woodworking. But it’s the power of interest that’s led to more effective learning and eventually culminated in in-depth knowledge in the technique, design and function.
Over the years they’ve learned the trade from various master craftsmen including Phisanu Numsiriyothin, who clearly had a good influence on them, Their chief asset lies in the use of the imagination and original ideas that keep everything simple yet attractive.
It’s a subtle approach to keeping a balance between the processing of raw materials and industrial manufacture without sacrificing quality and uniqueness. Along this line of thinking, Jutamas and Piti proudly present the Rush Chair, a collection of woven rush chairs and stools made from green wood.
It’s a design that speaks for the trees, thereby saving them from harm and destruction. Precisely, if a seat can be made out of wooden sticks, then there’s no need to cut down any tree, a win-win situation for both humans and forests.
As Piti put it, “For the most part, designers have a good knowledge of lumber yard timber that’s been sawn into planks or partially prepared for construction. But we think it’s time to change the way we do things. The making of furniture from wooden sticks presents several challenges that must be overcome, ranging from debarking to reducing moisture content in wood.”
The stick chair with woven seat made of hyacinth fiber from Ayutthaya comes in handy as the prototype of the Rush Chair series. It’s become the inspiration for anyone wanting to try their hand at simple furniture making. Plus, it requires only a few hand tools, while the wooden sticks and rush used in seat weaving vary widely from one area to another. Together, they bring the power of storytelling that adds value to local products.
He said, “We view easy yet stylish furniture making with optimism. Anyone can do his or her own DYI furniture project. It’s a way to self-reliance and taking care of the surroundings. It’s different from commercial furniture, which requires a lot of energy and resources to manufacture. As for Rush Chair, if you make it, you can fix it. One day when it’s not repairable, you can discard it without harming the environment because everything about it is biodegradable.”
Jutamas Buranajade and Piti Amraranga of the o-d-a studio are among subject matter experts being featured in an online course of study titled “A Passion for Woodworking.” It’s part of BaanLaeSuan Classroom, a collaboration with CEA, or the Creative Economy Agency (Public Organization). The program is designed for people interested in woodworking and those looking to acquire basic carpentry skills through furniture making using basic tools and community resources, plus plenty of tips for developing a career in creative business. The show is hosted by Jeremiah Pitakwong, Editor of BaanLaeSuan Magazine. Start learning today at LivingASEAN.com.
Some ten years ago, Suppapong Sonsang rose to fame as a laureate of the Designer of the Year award. Apparently content with living a green lifestyle, he kind of vanished from the limelight and got into a different field, something more upstream.
He brought 70 rai of destroyed forest land back to life in a bid to generate enough timber supplies for Jird Design Gallery, his very own furniture brand. Committed to sustainable growth, he viewed the mammoth undertakings as crucial for the future of his career as designer.
Lesson 2 Understanding Wood / Learn from Suppapong Sonsang, a furniture designer of Jird Design Gallery.
In a recent meet-up with room Magazine, he said: “The design profession is dependent upon purchase orders and customer hiring contracts. To do a good job or run a business well, skill alone isn’t enough. You also need a readiness to accomplish the task, reliable resources, even luck, et cetera. So I set out to find a green route for business to continue to perform for a long time; meanwhile, relying less on hiring contracts and more on selling direct to end-users. I viewed the practice of growing and caring for timber forests as a basic occupation with some hope for the future.”
Suppapong started his first new growth forest at Kamphaeng Phet Province in lower northern Thailand and gradually expanded to Nong Pho, Ratchaburi. The latter has since served as his headquarters with storage facilities for partly prepared timber and logs. There’s a sawmill with 4-5 types of machinery, where logs are cut, sawn into lumber and packaged ready for delivery. As business grew, he converted his humble abode in the forest into a showroom.
As he put it, “Timber is a valuable resource. So I focus on planting only trees that have economic importance. Little by little, I searched for knowledge and experimented with various methods in a bid to achieve the desirable outcome. Eventually, I obtained not only the resources needed for furniture making, but also a workplace with the atmosphere of a nature reserve. Before anything else, it’s about the better quality of life.”
Suppapong’s forests are home to valuable ecosystems. Apart from hardwood trees that are grown for timber, he also set aside some areas for planting crops. His work on the farm encompasses three aspects of product manufacturing, including design, human resources, and forest resources management.
Sharing his work experience, Suppapong said: “I’m responsible for design while others are busy taking care of things, ranging from caring for the forest floor and planting new trees, to grafting branches and growing plants from seeds in nurseries. Everyone deserves a good quality of life. For people in the community who’re working with us, it’s an opportunity to learn new skills in carpentry and agriculture. The knowledge that they gain as apprentices will be an asset beneficial to their future career.
“Meantime, the forests that we grow ensure that our furniture business will be adequately resourced for a long time to come, in other words until death do us part. It will be another 20 to 30 years down the road before some of the trees become fully grown and ready for harvesting. That said, it’s a guarantee that our community will still have timber supply lasting us a hundred years, or after old growth forests have been depleted.”
“While others invest in big manufacturing facilities and expensive machines, we put our money in land that we need to grow forests for timber. Oftentimes, people asked why we chose land covered with trees and undergrowth instead of beautiful pieces of property elsewhere. Well, it may be of little value to them. But it’s a great asset both for us and for the community 20 years down the road. We will have access to timber that our business needs. To begin with, it’s about growing healthy forest ecosystems. That means you need the initial capital, and patience. You have to give it all your energy to succeed. Been there, survived that. And now the rest is easy,” said Suppapong laughing.
“From then until now, little went as planned. Success came from resilience and the ability to adapt to new challenges. The workers that we hired from the community had no carpentry skill. So we started training them while the trees still had a long way to grow and mature. We believe that by the time our forests are ready for harvesting, our helping hands will have become well versed in woodworking. In the meantime, we just have to keep up with design trends. Together, they constitute parallel paths to future growth.”
Above, a bench seat from the KOOPREE collection by Suppapong Sonsang is made of timber from KrathinThepa (scientific name: Acacia mangium) a species of fast growing tree in the pea family Fabaceae. Harvested at 7 years of age, the tree provides an alternative to hardwood commonly used in furniture making.
Suppapong Sonsang of Jird Design Gallery is one of subject matter experts being featured in an online curriculum titled, “A Passion for Woodworking”. It’s part of Baan Lae Suan Classroom, a collaboration with the Creative Economy Agency (Public Organization), or CEA. The program is designed for people interested in woodworking and those looking to acquire basic carpentry skills through furniture making using basic tools and community resources. Plus, it provides tips for developing a career in creative business. The program is hosted by Jeremiah Pitakwong, Editor of Baan Lae Suan Magazine.
In the previous video, we presented a lesson on the Milking Stool by distinguished designer/carpenter Phisanu Numsiriyothin. In this episode, Suppapong Sonsang shows the steps in transforming homegrown timber into a beautiful bench seat.
A designer who’s passionate about all things made of wood, Phisanu Numsiriyothin has grown familiar with using woodworking tools at home since a very young age.
Let’s begin with building a cow milking stool. Learn from Phisanu Numsiriyothin, master woodworker and professional carpenter. / Lesson 1 Getting Started in Woodworking
Upon graduation with a degree in Visual Arts, he led a self-indulgent life for a time pushing himself beyond the limits only to find it had taken a toll on his body and mind. He soon learned that life didn’t get much better than spending the day in a woodworking studio. Life took a turn for the better after his exposure to works of outstanding artistry by big names such as George Nakashima, Sam Maloof, James Krenov, and master craftsman Saiyart Sema-ngern. Only then did his career in woodworking begin in earnest.
In a recent interview with roommagazine, Phisanu said his belief in the value of woodworking came from experience that spanned more than a decade.“A designer may have considerable knowledge of chair making. But if he’s unfamiliar with splintering or tear-out, has never done wood planing or used joinery tools, then he’s only thinking of two parts of the entire process — design proportions, and graphic visuals or style. In the end, beautiful design is achieved, but it may not be the best choice for wood. Plus, ill-conceived design could result in a lot of waste that compounds the world’s garbage problem.”
The world that he alludes briefly to is one in which a woodworker exists in harmony with natural woodlands. It’s a world where people harvest trees for timber responsibly and at the same time allow time for forests to thrive. Such an ideology can translate into a physically concrete form as is the case with “Rush Chair” by Phisanu in collaboration with the design duo, Jutamas Buranajade and Piti Amraranga, of o-d-a. They use small pieces trimmed off large trees to build the chair frame using traditional methods of wood joinery, while the seat is made of woven natural fibers dyed different shades of indigo.
If sustainable design refers to a piece of furniture that’s comfortable to sit on, easy to fix using parts sourced directly from nature, and capable of reducing negative impacts on the environment, then Rush Chair would fit that definition, a chair that’s eco-friendly in every sense of the word.
As Phisanu puts it, “If we design without focusing on just our needs and start paying attention to the environment, the result will be very different. As for me, I focus not only on the production technique, but also on the wood being used, the tools needed to perform the task, and everything that combines to add value to woodwork.”
Rush Chair
For the time being, Phisanu has relocated his fully equipped studio from Bangkok’s Buddha Puja area to Kuchinarai District in Kalasin. Here, he established a field workshop to make furniture from locally sourced materials. The villagers were available to work after the annual rice growing season had passed. So he persuaded them to join in making the Rush Chair based on design improved in conjunction with o-d-a. By making seat furniture from tree branches found in the area, Phisana subtly communicated the need to protect and preserve the environment among participating villagers. He has discovered the astounding connection between people and trees, and used it wisely promote nature conservation in the long term.
“I believe that between the chair and the trees, our home planet prefers more trees. They are crucial to the physical surroundings, far more important than my designing achievements. By realizing the importance of each and every tree, we are motivated to come up with good design and elaborate manufacturing process, and the resulting effect is worth a try.”
Phisanu Numsiriyothin is one of subject matter experts being featured in an online curriculum titled, “A Passion for Woodworking”. It’s part of BaanLaeSuan Classroom, a collaboration with the Creative Economy Agency (Public Organization), or CEA. The program is designed for people interested in woodworking and those wanting to acquire basic carpentry skills through furniture making, plus ideas about using local materials and tips for developing a career in creative business. It’s hosted by Jeremiah Pitakwong, Editor of BaanLaeSuan Magazine.
Phisanu said: “A stool for milking dairy cows. It’s a basic stool, very basic and easy to build. It’s lightweight and portable. A first for anyone wanting to try his hand at woodworking. Plus it’s come a long way in terms of design history. It depends on the material we can find, or the purpose of use. This one isn’t made of wood sticks. I made it instead from a solid tree trunk. And this one from wood slabs. The method differs occasionally. Sometimes we use leftovers or cut wide planks to make legs. We’re talking about using one type of material.”
Milking stool
Let’s begin with building a cow milking stool. Learn from Phisanu Numsiriyothin, master woodworker and professional carpenter. Click this link to get started https://dai.ly/x7zc9y1
SACICT Craft Trend Talk // Here’s a glimpse of art and craft ideas coming to you online. In these video clips, four experts, creatives and designers closely connected to Thai craft industries touch upon topics pertaining to the environment, culture, and technology. Plus, hear their views on what’s trending for 2021. Hosted by the SUPPORT Arts and Crafts International Centre (Public Organization), the discussion offers advice to craft makers in search of the right design and product in sync with global trends. The three thought-provoking topics to watch are:
CRAFT CIRCULARITY
Handicrafts from Reusable Resources
Environmental issues touch the lives of people across the globe. They are problems even for experienced craft makers. To achieve a contemporary aesthetic, preserving of the natural processes and handiwork is extremely important going forward.
In this video clip, Markus Roselieb, an expert in bamboo architecture and founder of Chiang Mai Life Construction (CLC), touches upon sustainable architecture built with the use of earth and bamboo. Plus, he talks about the concept of Craft Circularity that’s aimed at reducing waste and using natural resources in craft making.
He also gives a tour around Panyaden International School, where buildings are made out of bamboo to increase an appreciation of nature among schoolchildren. They are the hope and future of the world, and ambassador of the Environment.
CRAFT CITIZENS
Handicraft Knows No Bounds
Technology has transcended geographic borders, giving rise to a blend of cultures and enabling us to tap almost limitless knowledge. Here, two distinguished designers explain why craft still matters in a digital world. Let’s hear their views on the latest trends in craft design and the benefits that technology brings.
Suwan Kongkhuntian is a celebrated designer and founder of the modern furniture brand Yothaka. He touches upon some of the factors that have earned Thai products global recognition, plus the roles of designers in product development going forward.
Teerapoj Teeropas is a highly motivated, young designer and director of the Kitttakhon brand. He also wears another hat as researcher at Sao+D Social Cultural Innovation Lab at KMIT Thonburi, and collaborates with Asst. Prof. Nanthana Boonla-or on a Karen handicraft development project. He talks about traditional knowledge revival in the Digital Age.
CRAFT CLOUD
Bodies of Knowledge Made Easily Accessible
The COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc on people’s health, causing a devastating blow to world economy. It also led to high growth in online learning through various platforms. Julian Huang, a university lecturer and cofounder of the Weave Artisan Society, recently opened a craft space in Chiang Mai, paving the way for idea sharing in design and craft making in the Digital Age.
To hear his views on what’s trending in arts and crafts, get yourself a free copy of “SACICT Craft Trend 2021”. Contact by Product Development and Potential Enhancement. Tel. 0-3536-7054-9 Ext. 1385. Or read the e-book version online at https://www.sacict.or.th/th/detail/2020-09-09-11-30-23
A large crowd of art lovers queued up to get into Siam Pavalai, the Royal Grand Theater at Siam Paragon. Like everyone else, I had my ticket to the event ready for inspection. I could sense the atmosphere was filled with enthusiasm and energy. People were excited about the prospect of a vis-à-vis with Marina Abramovic, the icon of live performance art and living legend. Dubbed one of the most influential personalities to date, the 72-year-old Serbian artist and writer apparently was doing extremely well.
Inside, the sound of Clair de Lune by Claude Debussy brought the Royal Grand Theater to life. As the beautiful piano music played, a slide show evoked the images of museumgoers taking it in turns to sit across the table from Marina Abramovic and look her in the eye. The artist was still and silent for the duration of the marathon live performance. The show brought a series of flashbacks of “Marina Abramovic: The Artist is Present”, her solo exhibition hosted by the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), New York back in 2010.
Taking a quick look around, I saw people both local and foreign gradually being ushered to their seats while dimming lights signaled that something was about to happen. Clair de Lune, French for moonlight, seemed quieter now setting the scene for the show.
Lights were back on as Prof. Dr. Apinan Poshyananda, Chair and Artistic Director of the Bangkok Art Biennale 2018, appeared on stage to deliver a speech making the opening of the show. He said the event coincided with one of the most important public holidays on Thailand’s calendar.
October 23, known as King Chulalongkorn Day, is observed nationwide in loving memories of the fifth monarch of the House of Chakri, who passed in 1910. The day also remembers his first official visit to Europe that took place 121 years ago. It was with mixed emotions knowing the journey also took him to Venice, Italy back in the day. Nowadays the “City of Canals” is home to one of the most celebrated art destinations in the world. La Biennale di Venezia, or the Venice Biennale, was founded in 1895 and have since become the model for other shows worldwide.
Out in the streets, it was raining heavily, but inside the Royal Grand Theater was filled to capacity to the point extra seats had to be provided to accommodate larger-than-expected crowds of art lovers. The Kingdom’s inaugural art festival, known as the Bangkok Art Biennale 2018, began on 19 October and would run until 3 February 2019. The period saw more than 200 masterpieces by 75 renowned artists both local and international being on display at 20 landmark destinations throughout the city.
No stranger to Thailand’s artists circle, Abramovic was a visiting lecturer at Chulalongkorn University back in 2000 and since then has become fascinated with Thai culture. She was among the first world famous artists to accept the invitation to partake in the Bangkok Art Biennale 2018. Abramovic began her art career in the early 1970’s in Belgrade, in what was then Yugoslavia. Active for nearly 50 years, she won the Golden Lion Award for Best Artist at the 1997 Venice Biennale for her video installation titled “Balkan Baroque”.
The 2018 art festival in Bangkok offered the opportunity of experiencing the amazing works of Marina Abramovic, which included “Standing Structures for Human Use”, a live installation exhibit that looked into the power of silent communication and invited viewer participation. The other show, known as “Method”, was an experimental piece about the state of being present in time and space. It was presented by a team of artists from the Marina Abramovic Institute (MIA), which focused on durational works.
“Standing Structures for Human Use” is a collection of five wood poles in the upright position and adorned with crystals, each one unique in its own special way. Intended for viewers to practice meditation, the live installation is happening daily at BAB Box @ One Bangkok on Rama V Road now until February 3, 2109.
The artist said that a lot of work had gone into the making of the exhibit. There was a time she traveled as far away as Brazil to search out crystals that would be the most suitable for a show, in which she wanted viewers to participate. She could still recall many long hours sleeping on a bench inside a remote Brazilian mine. She searched among the rocks looking for clear minerals believed to have healing powers. The rest of the time was spent searching out new ideas for future art making. In retrospect, the long, arduous travel into the woods has had far-reaching effects on her art. It was a spiritual journey that went beyond traveling to work.
The fun started here. The moment Marina Abramovic entered the stage, she asked people in the audience to close their eyes and breathe in and out normally in sync with the rhythm she was giving. After 12 times, she told everyone to slowly open their eyes. Like a wow moment, it felt like the beginning of a new day, one that culminated in a rendezvous with a celebrity artist.
“Welcome to the present,” said the artist. A succinct opening remark directed the audience attention to something like we’ve got far better things to do than dwell in the past. Neither would we think about the future still to come. Marina Abramovic proceeded to outline three activities she wanted to talk about in that evening conversation. As she spoke, eight young performers who had undergone training with MAI appeared on stage. Like a scene of walking meditation, they lined up one after another behind her and began treading very slowly without making a sound. And it went on for the duration of her talk.
Abramovic speaks as young performers tread the stage slowly and quietly behind her.
Abramovic said the eight performers had successfully completed training at an MAI workshop aimed at getting their minds ready for show. Like a long, arduous journey, they gave live performances eight hours daily and the exhibit continued for three weeks at the Bangkok Art and Culture Center (BAAC). It began on 19 October and ended on 11 November as part of the Bangkok Art Biennale 2018. From a wide field of hundreds of applicants, Abramovic handpicked only eight, among them Thai performance artist Thavisak Moolasawat.
The crux of the matter was a workshop on performance and material art, which the artist referred to as “Cleaning the House”. During training, participants went through different phases of intense activity. Some exercises involved the practice of walking very slowly that could go on for several hours. The focus was on breathing, motion, stillness and concentration of the mind, a method developed over several decades to prepare a select group of performers for long durational art exhibits.
Performance art is an exhibit presented to an audience within a fine art context. It can be performed live or shown via media. Abramovi said durational performances required a lot of physical and mental strengths and willpower to succeed. She said performance art, which could be art of any discipline, was different from acting or playing parts in stage or other productions, where actors and actresses assumed a different persona or put on a disguise. Quite the contrary, performance art was about living life and being who you were and what you stood for. A durational art performer was not performing a fictional role in any stage or screen production. The Cleaning the House workshop is about resetting the body, the fresh-and-blood living being, and preparing the mind to face the challenges in life.
Abramovic explains the idea behind the Cleaning the House Workshop.
The slow walking exercise soon changed to stillness where performers paired up and looked each other in the face. It was soundless, motionless and without response of any kind. They tried not to blink, because any shutting and opening of the eyes could result in losing a focus on the matter at hand. The show was modelled on a previous performance by Abramovic titled “The Artist is Present”, which was hosted by the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), New York in 2010.
The work of a lifetime
Then came the moment of Abramovic’s work of a lifetime. A public declaration of her life and works appeared on the screen behind her. The artist said the formal announcement and listing of works she has performed from the past to the present has meant a lot to her. The same applied to any career, whether it be singer, songwriter, or authors and whatnots. Her life manifesto just went to show who she was and what she believed in.
After asking the performers to change from looking each other in the face to standing still with their eyes closed, Abramovic began reading her life manifesto clearly and slowly one item at a time. Some items were repeated many times over, especially ones that said an artist shouldn’t behave like a star, and that depression had no benefit for anyone pursuing an art career.
There was a big round of applause when she said: “Never should an artist fall in love with another artist.” She was speaking from life experience, subtly alluding to a romantic relationship with Uwe Laysiepen, also known as Ulay, her German partner and artistic collaborator. It was one of the most meaningful aspects of life and sources of deep fulfilment and companionship that had strong influence on her art during the 1980’s.
Abramovic reading her life manifesto
The meeting concluded with a Q&A session, in which the artist invited people to ask about anything. Sure enough, there were a lot of questions from members of the audience, both local and international. One of them harked back to a witty remark Abramovic had made earlier in the show, which said: “Never should an artist fall in love with another artist?”
To which, she answered from experience that apparently artists tended to have a lot in common. Their spirits and natural instinctive states of mind tended to be too similar. It was especially good from the get-go. Two artists could be ideally suited to each other, but rarely did it translate into living life together happily ever after. Exceptions were few and far in between. This writer thought the same applied to relationships in other professions, too. Don’t you think? Click this link to share your thoughts with us.
Without a doubt, Abramovic has been held in high esteem the world over. The long spiritual journey to respect and admiration must have taught her something. This writer finally got around to asking her what was it that had the most influence on her art.
This writer stands up for vis-à-vis with Marina Abramovic.
Abramovic answered: “It was Rhythm 0.” She was referring to a solo live performance she staged at age 23. She could still recall it was one of the most challenging performances in her lifetime as artist. It was a test of the limits of the relationship between performer and audience. Between the artist and members of the audience, there were 72 objects that she put on the table. People were allowed to use any one of them in any way they chose, among them a rose, a feather, honey, scissors, a knife, even a pistol loaded with one bullet. The performance last six hours, during which her body sustained several injuries that brought out the dark side of human nature. Needless to say she felt really violated. Since then, Abramovic has spent more than four decades researching and developing spiritual and material art as tools to promote the positive traits of humankind.
The inaugural art festival saw the icon of live performances work non-stop for more than three weeks in Thailand, the longest visit she has ever made to a country she has grown fondest of.
The Bangkok Art Biennale 2018 began on 19 October and runs until 3 February 2019. There are 20 locations city-wide that play host to more than 200 masterpieces from all disciplines. In all, 75 artists from 34 countries across the globe are taking part in a joint effort to turn Bangkok into one of the world’s most sought-after art destinations.
The moment this writer has been waiting for, the opportunity of meeting the artist up-close and picking up a book with her autograph on it. | Photo courtesy of the Bangkok Art Biennale 2018This writer’s most treasured possession
This writer told Marina Abramovic that he wanted more than just an autograph. He would really appreciate an inspiration, especially to do something creative. And the artist scribbled something resembling two mathematical expressions being equal. This writer then asked her what she meant by it. With a smile, she answered in a clever and amusing way: “Infinity plus infinity, then on one knows the answer.” Aha! I’ve got it.
Marina Abramovic, a New York-based pioneer of performance art, became the hottest news early 2018 when she announced what she intended to do for her upcoming exhibition at the Royal Academy of Art in London in 2020. No, it will have nothing to do with living in an art gallery for days, or sitting in a chair for hundreds of hours, or looking strangers in the eye like in 2010.
/// THAILAND /// Story: Singhanart Nakpongphun /// Photographs: (100 Picasa / 100 Letters: 1965-1979) Singhanart Nakpongphun /// Photo credit: Photos courtesy of the artist and the Marina Abramović Institute (MAI)
It will be entirely something new, a performance art show that will see Marina Abramovic being charged with electricity, a lot of electricity. The project is a collaboration with the Spanish art fabrication company Factum Arte to make art specifically for her exhibition in London. It will involve as much as one million volts of static. For that, Abramovic will be the first woman artist to occupy the entire main gallery of the 250-year-old Royal Academy of Arts.
People who are unfamiliar with the artworks of Abramovic may softly ask if she is crazy. Of course, not. To help you understand her innovative ideas and what she stands for, our baanlaesuan.com team presents a glimpse into her life and work. Some of her groundbreaking masterpieces are exhibited along with those of 75 other artists as part of the Bangkok Art Biennale 2018. The country’s inaugural art festival is going on now and runs until February 3, 2019.
Marina Abramovic was born in 1946 in Belgrade, the capital of Serbia back in the day when it was part of a federation of republics known as Yugoslavia. After World War II ended in 1945, vast swaths of Europe were reduced to ruins and life under communist revolutionary Josip Broz, a.k.a. Marshal Tito, was tough for its citizens. But Abramovic’s family was safe and sound, albeit a far cry from being a happy one. She could still recall that her parents had a terrible marriage during a 2013 interview. Her parents became national heroes and were given positions in the post-war Yugoslav government. Her father was a high-ranking official in the security apparatus that protected the Yugoslav dictator, while her mother was director and curator of an art museum in Belgrade.
Despite her mother’s strict military style control of the household and an unhappy childhood, Abramovic developed an early interest in art and began painting as a child. She graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Belgrade in 1970 and went on to complete post-graduate studies in Zagreb (now capital of Croatia) in 1972. At age 27, she returned to Serbia and taught at the Academy of Fine Arts and began making art for her first solo performances.
Marina Abramovic, 100 Picasa / 100 Letters: 1965-1979, a compilation of letters she received while living in Belgrade. The book is on display at the Art Books Fair 2018 at Bangkok CityCity Gallery.
Abramovic became known for staging a work of performance art, called “Rhythm O”, at Studio Morra in Naples, western Italy in 1974. The exhibition involved Marina Abramovic standing still for six hours while the audiences were allowed to do anything they wished to her using one of 72 objects she had put on the table. They included, among other things, bread, roses, honey, nails, a scalpel, scissors, even a pistol with a single bullet in it.
Dubbed one of her most challenging events, Rhythm O was a show that tested the limits of the relationship between the performer and audience members. It began gently. But later on as the show turned ugly, one person picked up a gun and aimed at her head, and another person jumped in and took it away. At the end of the day, her body sustained a fair amount of injuries from being attacked and treated badly. No doubt it was an experience that pushed her body to the limits.
Here is a video clip in which the artist talked about Rhythm 0. (Warning: The images and content may be disturbing to individuals under age 18.) Check it out.
Unlike most communist countries in Eastern Europe, post-war Yugoslavia had a liberal travel policy permitting foreigners to travel freely through the country and its citizens to travel worldwide. On the breakup of Yugoslavia in 1990, Serbia remained in federation with Montenegro until 2006 when they split and became two separate republics. Marina Abramovic left Belgrade forever in 1979 first for Amsterdam, and then New York.
Two years after Rhythm 0, Marina Abramovic staged another performance at a show called “Relation in Time”, at Studio G7 in Bologna, Italy. A part of the live exhibition involved Abramovic and then-partner Ulay sitting together back-to-back with their ponytail hair tied together in a 16-hour marathon. They sat silhouetted against a bare wall witnessed by the audience until the final hour. Like Abramovic, Ulay also developed an interest in pushing the human body to the limits.
“Rest Energy”, a 1980 performance art exhibition by Marina Abramovic and Ulay recorded in Amsterdam. Photo courtesy of the Marina Abramović Archives
In 1980, Marina Abramovic and Ulay came up with another performance art show called “Rest Energy”. The show involved severe tests of endurance that pushed the human body to the limits, while exploring human bonds and human behavior at the same time. The 4-minute live exhibition placed Abramovic at the receiving end of an arrow while Ulay held the trigger. The crux of the matter was about the difference between life and death and mutual trust.
Albeit short-lived, collaborations between the two artist partners produced some of the most intriguing works of art that the world has ever known. But everything good finally came to an end. In 1988, “The Lovers: The Great Wall Walk” became their last joint project, in which they went on a long arduous journey from different locations and came to meet at one point on the Great Wall of China where they said goodbye.
Marina Abramovic on a long journey to the Great Wall of China, where she ended the relationship with then-partner Ulay. The work is titled, “The Lovers: the Great Wall Walk” 1988 (Photo credit: Marina Abramovic and Ulay, Courtesy Marina Abramovic and Sean Kelly Gallery New York)
Marina Abramovic became a sensation once again in 2010 with her groundbreaking durational work titled “The Artist Is Present” hosted by the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City. The artist gave live performances from March to May that year, during which she sat in silence at the table throughout the run of the show for a total of 736 hours. All day Abramovic would not respond to anything that the people did to distract her. Yet, museum visitors were willing to stand in line for hours awaiting their turn to sit solo across from her and look her in the eye. Once they grabbed a seat, the audience members could sit there as long as they wanted.
The Bangkok Art Biennale, which is happening now and runs until February 3, 2019, offers the opportunity of experiencing the amazing works of Marina Abramovic right here in Thailand. Her exhibits are on show at two separate events. First, the show titled “Standing Structures” provides a glimpse into the world of silent communication. It’s taking place at One Bangkok, a mega development project located on Rama 4 Road. “Method”, the other show that involved an experiment about being present in time and space, was held from October 8 to November 12, 2018, and presented by a team from the Marina Abramovic Institute (MAI).
Audience members participate in “Standing Structures”, an experimental exhibition at One Bangkok on Rama 4 Road. It’s part of the Bangkok Art Biennale that runs until February 3, 2019“Method” an experimental exhibition hosted by the Marina Abramovic Institute (MAI) took place from October 8 to Novemer 12, 2018 as part of the Bangkok Art Biennale.
Jean-Michel Basquiat (1960-1988) is one of 75 artists whose works are exhibited at the Bangkok Art Biennale that runs until February 3, 2019. The American artist of Haitian and Puerto Rican descent went down in history as one of the most brilliant artists on the American art scene.
Born and raised in Brooklyn, Basquiat had a precocious talent for the arts as a child. His mother gradually established a love of art in her son by enrolling him in a junior course at a neighborhood art museum. The unthinkable happened. The boy soon grew and matured to take the art world by storm. One of his paintings sold in a 2017 auction for a record 110.5 million USD, about 3.5 billion Baht. Our baanlaesuan.com team investigates.
Life was never easy or cozy for the hugely successful painter. At age 7, he was hit by a car while playing in the street. He broke his arm and suffered several internal injuries. To keep him occupied while in recovery, his mother brought him a book on anatomy by Henry Gray with illustrations by Henry Vandyke Carter. Who would have thought it turned out to have such a great influence on his art and for the rest of his life? Later that same year his parents separated, and he and his two sisters were brought up by his father in Brooklyn for a while. They relocated to Puerto Rico and moved back to Brooklyn two years later.
An illustration from the Gray’s Anatomy book published 1918 | Image courtesy of Henry Vandyke Carter – Henry Gray (1918) Anatomy of the Human Body: Gray’s Anatomy, Plate 219
At age 13, his mother was committed to a psychiatric hospital. He ran away from home at 15 only to be arrested sleeping in a city park and brought back to the family. He quit conventional schooling at age 17 to attend an alternative school for children with artistic talents. Even then he dropped out again. This time his father banished him from the household. He lived with a friend in Brooklyn and supported himself by selling T-shirts and handcrafted post cards. There were times when he survived on cheese that the bought for 15 cents a packet.
Albeit far from being legendary at the time, Basquiat rose from humble beginnings to achieve fame after he met Al Diaz in the late 1970’s. Together they formed a graffiti duo known as SAMO, whose epigrams could be seen on walls and the surfaces of public places all over Manhattan’s Lower East Side at the time that punk rock, hip-hop and street art cultures were taking shape. They appropriated drawing, painting and poetry, and mixed text and image with social commentary. Basquiat and Diaz put an end to the SAMO project in 1979.
Basquiat’s paintings gained recognition for supporting class struggle while resisting the Establishment, colonialism and systems of racism in America and beyond. His works appeared in several magazines in 1979 when he caught the attention of the television industry. Soon Basquiat was invited to appear on “TV Party” with Glenn O’Brien, and the rest was history. As his prestige and celebrity grew, he became a star and it appeared he enjoyed spending lavishly on haute couture clothing, among them Armani suits, and expensive accessories.
The 1980’s was an eventful period for Basquiat. He had the opportunity of meeting Andy Warhol, a leading pop artist whose works spanned a variety of media. It was said that Warhol was so impressed after having seen some of Basquiat’s works that he wanted to collaborate with him one day. And they did. Basquiat also became a songwriter. He produced a rap single in 1983 and began his touring exhibitions across the US and Europe. At age 21, he was dubbed the youngest artist to have exhibited at the Documenta contemporary art show hosted once every five years by the city of Kassel, Germany.
Basquiat reached the pinnacle of his career in 1985, dubbed the hugely successful artist on the American art scene. He appeared on the cover of The New York Time Magazine under the headline “New Art, New Money: The Marketing of an American Artist”. On the cusp of his fame, Basquiat dated Madonna, queen of pop, but when the short-lived relationship ended, it appeared the breakup was extremely unpleasant. He made the singer-songwriter return the artworks he had given her and destroyed them all. At age 27, Basquiat died of a heroin overdose in his studio. 29 years later at a 2017 Sotheby’s auction, one of his untitled paintings depicting a skull sold for 110.5 million USD, roughly 3.5 billion Baht, setting a new record high of any American artist.
“I don’t think about art when I’m working. I try to think about life.” – Jean Michel Basquiat
Jean-Michel Basquiat on the cover of New York Times Magazine, 1985 | Photo courtesy vincefinearts.com
Without a doubt, Brooklyn-born Basquiat was one of the most influential postmodern artists in the world and one of the highest selling American artists until now. Even after his untimely death, his paintings and everything he stood for – rigid dichotomies between rich and poor, black and white, and integration and segregation – lived on. His signature style – words that featured heavily in his drawings and paintings – was appropriated in many collaborations with leading fashion houses as well as clothing and accessory industries, among them Comme des Garcons, Uniglo, and Reebok. Here are some shoes with the name Basquiat embroidered on them. Designed by hip-hop artist Swizz Beatz (Kasseem Dean), Reebok’s Pump Omni Light shoes feature “Basquiat” and a crown symbol embroidered on them. The crown symbolizes majestic powers in traditional African belief systems.
Reebok shoes with Jean-Michel Basquiat embroidered on the side wallReebok’s BB4600 HI model features Basquiat and a crown symbol embroidered on the tongue.
An epitaph that says, “A Lot of Bowery Bums Used to Be Executives,” appears on the back tab. (Bowery refers to a street and a district in Lower Manhattan.) The left side says, “Ignorant Easter Suit,” adapted from one of his graffiti spray painted for the “Downtown 81” TV documentary directed by Edo Bertoglio and Glenn O’Brien, whom Basquiat highly admired.
A pair of Reebok shoes inspired by Basquiat’s Untitled (1981), a series of 14 drawings
At a Sotheby’s auction in May 2017, one of Basquiat’s Untitled (1982) paintings depicting a skull sold for 110.5 million USD, about 3.5 billion Baht. The successful bidder was Yusaku Maezawa, a Japanese billionaire e-commerce entrepreneur and art collector.
A Tweet by Yusaku Maezawa announces that he has bought the painting. The Japanese billionaire entrepreneur calls it “a love at first sight” and hopes to host an exhibition so other people can see it, too.
A product of collaboration between Jean-Michel Basquiat, Andy Warhol, and Italian Francesco Clemente, known as “Amorosi”, is on show at the Bangkok Art Biennale, which runs until next February 3. The mixed media painting, which includes oil sticks, acrylic, and silkscreens on a canvas that’s almost two meters long, is on the Second Floor of BAB BOX @ One Bangkok.
The show is open from 10.00 to 21.00 hours every day except on Tuesday. The venue is easily accessible via the MRT. Get off at Lumpini Station and take Exit 3. It’s a rare opportunity to see the work of such highly celebrated artists. Whilst there, drop into BAB Café for refreshing beverages and a meal or two. Be there.
Born in 1964, Lee Bul is one of Asia’s most acclaimed artists renowned for her eye-catching contemporary sculptures and art installations. Some of her enthralling futuristic works are on view at the East Asiatic Building as part of the Bangkok Art Biennale that’s going on now and will run until next February 3.
/// THAILAND /// Story and video: Sara’ /// Photographs: www.leebul.com, www.lehmannmaupin.com, www.amuraworld.com, www.bkkartbiennale.com
Blessed with a strong artist identity, the 54-year-old Korean is passionate about using mixed media to communicate messages to her active audiences. A 1987 product of the Hongik University Department of Sculpture, Bul achieved fame for questioning a system of society in which men held the power and women were largely excluded from it. For more than two decades, she developed artistic interests in geological change and the evolution of the human body that took place over millennia. Her energy and enthusiasm for the arts span almost all the conventional and modern disciplines, ranging from mechanical sculpture to performance art to site specific installations and fashion design.
Lee Bul came to prominence for her though-provoking works that drew a comparison between two sharply contrasting ideas and the polarization of society. They ranged from individualism as opposed to group mentality, to light and darkness imagery that was used to contrast good and bad, to nature versus machines and facts as opposed to fantasy. She became concerned in social structure and environmental conditions, and grew her knowledge by visiting the locality before getting down to work. She searched for a utopia through her large-scale works of art that made reference to science fictions and technological innovations.
One of the clearest reflections of Lee Bul’s visions was “Willing to Be Vulnerable”, a colossal sculpture resembling a Hindenburg airship that she debuted at the 2016 Sydney Biennale. The futuristic metalized balloon was operated by machinery and required so much space that it had to be displayed in a warehouse.
Resembling a Zeppelin that was popular in the 1930’s, “Willing to Be Vulnerable” is on view at the 2016 Sydney Biennale.
The Seoul-born artist won popular acclaim once again when she participated in the 2013 Miss Dior Exhibition at Paris’ Grand Palais. Since then she has become a familiar face in fashion design collaborations. At the time she was among the ten famous artists, poets, painters and photographers who were invited to re-envision the iconic Lady Dior handbag. It gave her the opportunity of teaming up with the atelier of Christian Dior to reimage the bag originally designed in 1995. Her take on the elegant example of haute couture was a limited-edition handbag featuring a broken mirror effect that became her design signature. The bag was covered in pieces of Plexiglas material put together in a way that resembled a shattered mirror. Together, they reflected her interest in utopias, concepts of beauty and the paradox of human nature.
Dior x Lee Bul, a product of collaboration between the Korean contemporary artist and the atelier of Christian Dior in Paris. It was her take on the reinterpretation of the iconic Lady Dior handbag the debuted in 1995.
Lee Bul has exhibited at art galleries and museums worldwide, among them the Art Sonje Center and the Samsung Museum of Art in Seoul, the New Museum of Contemporary Art in New York, and the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne, Australia. Her major exhibition “Mon grand recit: Weep into Stones” 2005, was hosted by London’s Hayward Gallery on its 50th anniversary in 2018. The show was a big success, lighting up the gallery inside and out transforming it into a dream-like landscape filled with what looked like traces of authoritarian devastation from her memory of 1970’s Korea and the effects of modernization on the environment. Her clear and direct visions of change were manifested in colossal architectural installations that have become her distinctive character.
Lee Bul’s “Titan”, 2013 and an “Untitled” sculpture (W3), 2010 on show at Hayward Gallery, London mid-2018
Lee Bul’s “Titan”, 2013 and an “Untitled” sculpture (W3), 2010 on show at Hayward Gallery, London mid-2018“Crashing”, one of Lee Bul’s installations on display at Hayward Gallery London mid-2018A collection of obtrusively decorated raw fish titled “Majestic Splendor” (1991-2018) on view at Hayward Gallery, London mid 2018A young museum-goer enjoys a good time at “Via Negativa II” 2014, one of Lee Bul’s installations at Hayward Gallery, LondonLee Bul’s Cyborg W1,1998, a sculptural installation made of cast silicone, polyurethane filling, and paint pigments
One of Lee Bul’s masterpieces, a monochromatic architectural installation titled “Diluvium”, is on display at the East Asiatic Building as part of the Bangkok Art Biennale. The show runs until next February 3, 2019. The name has a Latin root meaning floods and over time has come to refer to a barren landscape supposed to have been caused by glacial drift. The eye-catching installation is made of silver vinyl sheets randomly connected to a crushed framework of metal beams depicting a trail of destruction. It reflects the artist’s interest in geological change and her vision of cataclysm in the natural world. All things considered, it’s a show that turns the entire exhibition space into a monster. It’s in town now. So, what are you waiting for!
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