In Situ from Outside: Reconfiguring the past in between the present, now displayed at the National Museum, is possibly the biggest exhibition to focus on Wang Na or the Front Palace, the former residence of many Siamese viceroys in the past. It is a sequel to the interactive exhibition of the same theme that was shown at BACC last year. In an unexpected move, lead curator Sirikitiya Jensen and her team decided to retell the palace’s narratives through contemporary art—which you barely see at the antiques- and relics-focused National Museum—created by artists and collaborators.
The exhibition is displayed in two chambers of the museum: the Isara Winitchai Throne Hall and Mukkrasan, its annex. The Isara Winitchai Throne Hall showcases conceptual works created site-specifically by seven artists—Tanatchai Bandasak, On Kawara, Udomsak Krisanamis, Nipan Oranniwesna, Pratchaya Phinthong, Rirkrit Tiravanija and Danh Vo—all of whom took inspiration from the facts surrounding Wang Na’s rich history. (Be warned: The works in this room are edgy and conceptual, and require time and imagination to contemplate.)
As for the works exhibited in Mukkrasan, experts from various fields—Chef Chudaree Debhakam, linguist Pongsit Pangsrivongse, botanist Kitichate Sridith, musician Tul Waitoonkiat, and textile designer Jarupatcha Achavasmi, for example—were invited to elaborate on the history of Wang Na in their own way. You have pieces that you won’t expect to see within the walls of the spooky National Museum, like a chef’s table meal with recipes inspired by Wang Na’s kitchen, and curtains inspired by the actual drapes that sectioned off the viceroy from commoners in the old days.
Curator and historical scholar, Sirikitiya Jensen, pointed out that this is merely the beginning of her efforts to bring new life into Thailand’s seemingly outdated museums. Through her efforts, Sirikitiya hopes to bridge the past to the present, and to keep the country’s history alive within the new generation.
It’s too soon to tell if this is the right move, but we are seeing a brighter light at the end of the tunnel.
