The late 1980s to 2000s was a period marked by a significant transition in Thai art. A handful of local artists, even big-name ones, started challenging traditional art practices by incorporating unconventional and unexpected materials and objects into their works, featuring subjects beyond religious and political themes, and using their bodies as part of a performance. These “rebellious” practices resulted in the creation of independent art spaces and connections with transnational art networks. This turning point, however, also created what seem to be “rifts” in the Thai art scene that are still present today.
The Main Gallery of Bangkok Art and Culture Center (BACC) is now displaying carefully selected artworks created by 13 Thai artists during this transitional period. The exhibition includes installations, sculptures, photography, and video art. Here are the ones that piqued our interest the most.
Song for the Dead by Kamol Phaosavasdi, 1985
Probably one of the most provocative pieces in the exhibition, Song for the Dead narrates the artist Kamol Phaosavasdi’s obvious rejection of both traditional aesthetic norms and Modern Art. The artist challenges modern aesthetics by using objects that, at first glance, seem random but actually hide a profound meaning. His original exhibition in 1985 featured both installation and performance art. The installation featured scrap metal, a wall adorned with random book pages, and pictures of Marilyn Monroe, while his live performances included making sound from unwanted metal scraps while simultaneously having the postmodern art manifesto read out loud. Another performance featured the artist “cleaning” the pictures of Marilyn Monroe, then splashing black paint on them, declaring his antipathy to modernism. The current exhibit at BACC also shows a video of the artist splashing black paint on Marilyn Monroe’s images back in 1985.
Reading for One Female Corpse by Araya Rasdjarmrearnsook, 1957
In a darkened room, a projector attached to the ceiling shows a video of the artist, Araya Rasdjarm-rearnsook, reading parts from Inao, a classic Thai literary tale, to an anonymous female corpse. In addition to the video, the exhibition also displays pages of Araya’s first short story, “Neuk Theung Yai (Thinking of Grandma)”. Published in a magazine in 1988, it tells the story of a mysterious en-counter with her grandmother’s spirit after her passing. Back then, mixing motion pictures and words was considered a new form of media that challenged traditional forms of artistic expression. It was a big step that made a name for the artist. Araya’s work, which spans printmade art and in-stallations, usually brings forth personal memories and experiences, and spotlights the relationship between life and death.
Unstraight Ladder and Twin Desk by Tawatchai Puntusawasdi, 2002
The works of Tawatchai Puntusawasdi are known to have opened new doors for sculptors in the Thai art community. His art usually involve an interplay between shape and space, encouraging viewers to question the actual reality of what they perceive and to realize the limits of human vision. Often, the artist calls out the way we see things through a combination of mathematics, perspective, and craftsmanship. “Unstraight Ladder” puts Tawatchai’s rough sketch of a two-dimensional and weirdly proportioned ladder beside an actual three-dimensional sculpture of the same subject, prompting viewers to consider how different applications of the same thing can alter our percep-tions. The same concept is applied to “Twin Desk,” a table-like sculpture that suggests possibilities of being functional furniture despite seeming distorted or two-dimensionally compressed.