An alternative image of the kingdom
- Published: 13/05/2010 at 12:00 AM
- Newspaper section: Outlook
Thailand's image at the moment in the minds of foreigners is hardly of the exotic splendour of golden temple spires and white sandy beaches. The political turmoil of the past few months has made them do a quick U-turn and head for some other exotic destination, while expats in Thailand grit their teeth in despair at how low the country has sunk.
"How do you see Thailand?" is an art exhibition that brings an alternative view of this country by a group of artists based in Geneva, Switzerland. Curated by Swiss-educated Thai artist Siripoj Chamroenvidhya, the exhibition brings together a range of styles and techniques by these artists who have had varying degrees of contact with Thailand.
Swiss artist Jacques Berthet has probably spent the most time in this country, and brings a selection of photographs that reflect the juxtaposition and contrasts of a sprawling metropolitan city that pique his interest: The orchid gardens, the religious temples, the buildings and expressways, the pollution that is part of the city yet offers a certain charm that he has tried to convey. Billboards that dominate the skyline particularly strike his eye, as seen in Bangkok 15/7/2007, which shows a squatter's hut by a railway track overwhelmed by an enormous advertising billboard featuring a beautiful Western woman. You couldn't get a bigger contrast than that.
Belgian artist Axelle Snakkers draws on her experience living in Kanchanaburi, with water as the main motif of her six oil on aluminium paintings and six crayon on paper drawings. The abstract images featuring fluid vertical brushstrokes on metal represent anything from the river, the coastal landscape, the horizon and the rain to the three elements of earth, river and sky.
Ladina Gaudenz combines blurred images with the format of a film strip, bringing to mind the fleeting images of a strange and unknown land that draws you into its mystery yet distances you by the cultural and linguistic divide.
There is a large selection of works, almost a retrospective, by the late noted artist Bujar Marika, who plays on the intrinsic Swiss concept of time in his various installations. Thai Nympheas uses a cluster of round wall clocks deprived of faces, painted into the colours of the lotus blossoms that evoke Monet's water lily series. His clever use of quartz clocks that do not keep time is an apt and humorous reflection of the chaotic lifestyle that is Bangkok where there is no evident rhyme or reason yet somehow life evolves and functions.
US artist June Papineau presents Vital Signs, an installation that looks like a rain shower from afar but is actually tiny tubes filled with grains of rice hanging from the ceiling in two concentric circles. Alder leaves, catkins and strobili are interspersed with the strands of rice, reflecting the cycle of traditional rice farming where the common alder plant can be used to replenish the soil instead of the burning of rice stalks that create so much pollution. It is a comment on sustainable farming and agriculture, environmental preservation and the need to go back to traditional practice.
Curator Siripoj presents his Doi Tung series, which was previously presented in Geneva. His Untitled (Golden Triangle) uses synthetic paint on bubble wrap, a highly unlikely material to paint on. The texture and technique offers totally different feelings when you see the paintings up close and from afar.
Supported by the Pro Helvetia Swiss Arts Council, 'How do you see Thailand?' is at the National Gallery Bangkok until May 27.
source : bangkokpost.com
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