Architecture
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Exhibitions
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Photography
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Thailand began to suffer from economical turbulence in the mid 1990s. Its urban landscape changed drastically due to economic breakdown. Urban ghosts emerged and remained as incurable scars on the city. A “self-organized” city dreamed up by William Lim, a Singaporean architect, as a post-modern city, Bangkok takes its charm from its chaotic disorganisation, its accessibility to both local and overseas visitors. Rarely a destination in itself for visitors, Bangkok enjoys its status as a gateway, and a transit zone for those who want to mooch around the Southeast Asian countries. The city lacks completeness and perfection. We all have something to complain about, from the sewer system and the streets to the sky train and the authority that runs it.
‘Bangkok, Bangkok’ is an attempt to introduce contemporary art by Bangkok-based artists whose work deals with this city, people, lifestyle, mentality, from various approaches. As citizens of this city, and witnesses to its fast paced growth, collapse, and revival, young artists portray their point of view towards such changes. They investigate the urban condition and lifestyles in the city and its surrounding area through photography, video and film imbued with humour, satire and critique. They also seek proximity and interaction with Barcelona audiences by working with local people.
The exhibition consists of two parts: urban landscape and cultural landscape. In the section on urban landscapes, images of Bangkok from the economic crisis to the present day will be represented by photography in Manit Sriwanichpoom’s Dream Interruptus and in his publication, Bangkok in Black and White. Manit, who began his career as a photojournalist, has always been interested in social and political issues at both local and international level. This series is one of his most important if obscure works, though it is overshadowed by his famous Pink Man photographic series. For its part, Vanchit Jibby Yunibandhu’s video work shows us images of the city from different viewpoints. About Bangkok that I think I know deals with her personal experience with the city whilst also embodying an attempt to reorientate herself after the rapid changes of the last ten years. In stark contrast to Vanchit’s work, in If there is no corruption Wit Pimkanchanapong creates a pseudo-Bangkok Metropolitan subway system to pour critique and satire on the existing system and mass transport infrastructure in this megacity, as well as its urban planning, and administration.
Kornkrit Jianpinidnan, a young fashion photographer, will present a wide range of portraits of Bangkok’s younger generation, both Bangkokian and expatriates, in their most intimate moments. Kornkrit asked them to call him up when they were ready to be photographed. The idea was to capture the point of transition between the public and the private, as decided by each individual, and to highlight the sense of alienation. Prapon Kumjim and Thasnai Sethaseree will work with Barcelona audiences to complete their projects, which they began in Bangkok. Prapon Kumjim is a lens-based artist who explores his nomadic experience and our media-centred society in an attempt to blur the divide between art and film. As part of his community-based photographic project, he will ask three generations of people from Barcelona to take pictures of their everyday activities. Prapon will finally rephotograph and edit these in a storyboard format. Thasnai, on the other hand, approaches the community in a different way. As an artist actively taking part in a social, anthropological and research-based project, his works explore cultural misinterpretation and its idiosyncrasy, creating an interesting dialogue between the different cities in the world and their perception of Thailand. Thasnai will work with Barcelonans who have been to Thailand, compiling photographs they took as tourists and using these images as part of his installation Thailand is not my idea. The setting for this work will be a living room converted into a television set, where he will interview audiences about their impressions and experiences of Thailand.
The show is completed by screenings at the exhibition centre itself of films by local directors. Most of these films focus on urban and cultural aspects of Bangkok. Finally, AARA (About Art Related Activities), an independent Internet television network, will present About TV, a Superchannel project by Superflex, containing information about the city and activities that might help to link Barcelona audiences with those in Bangkok.
Gridthiya Gaweewong