The first Bangkok Art Biennale has finally hit the city, covering 20 locations and venues by more than 70 local and international artists from 33 countries around the world. There is a lot of art to be seen and admired by just what these talented creators have produced, giving those who are interested an incentive to explore the Big Mango. The event, which took off on Oct 19, will end on Feb 3, 2019.
Rather than focus on making a list of all the artwork (yawn), which would take forever and would need its own book (refer to the event guidebook), Guru decided to focus on a few notable works in the Siam area, namely at the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre (BACC) and Siam Discovery, as well as the BAB Box art space in the residential tower of One Bangkok near Lumphini. To make things interesting, we spoke to observers asking if they could make sense of the pieces. Of course, all works of art are up for interpretation and we've often wondered if citizens understand art as seen through the eyes of artists.
Here, we briefly describe the artwork and viewers' responses to what they think it means. Let's take an art tour, Guru-style!
BACC (Outdoor)
Alien Capital by Sornchai Phongsa
Having grown in an ethnic labour community, up-and-coming artist Sornchai Phongsa decided to build a large-scale installation titled Alien Capital, which is on display outside the BACC. The installation, which is meant to reflect the working class and their unnoticeable identities, as well as their unity against hardships, is covered in bamboo structures tied up with red nylon rope. Inside the container are clothes of these workers hanging along the walls along with documents detailing existence and employment.
"I think it is a very interesting statement of how immigrant workers are treated in Thailand. They may not have access to the same rights as others and they are lectured a little bit about discrimination as they come from a minority background. I think the entire concept of the building with the ID numbers behind the worker outfits is a statement about their identities; it can show and tell people where you come.
-- Matthieu, 42, photographer
BACC (Floor 1-5)
Basket Tower by Choi Jeong Hwa
Choi Jeong Hwa, who has been hailed as one of Korea's leading contemporary artists, has built a large-scale Basket Tower, five-stories-high at the centre of the BACC. The artwork is the centrepiece of the BACC with its colourful appearance and the way each basket is able to balance on top of each other.
"I feel like everyone is different in society. Like the baskets on display, nobody is the same. The art piece is very colourful and the placement of baskets, with its different shapes and sizes, go along well together."
-- Im, 28, freelance photographer
"I think that its meaning is related to plastic usage, the world having its oceans cluttered, which creates more problems. It's quite big, it's beautiful and it caught my eyes when I first came in."
-- Kimmo, 39, service engineer
BACC (Floor 7)
Genetic Manipulation by Heri Dono
Indonesian artist Heri Dono, who is renowned for applying his country's traditional "wayang" puppet theatre art into contemporary works, has created this humorous and satirical interactive piece meant to comment on "censorious and suppressive cultural policies". The piece consists of five bizarre-looking "dinosaurus creatures half human in uniform with Komodo dragon feet" with yellow fans at the bottom, which viewers can activiate by pressing a switch on the nearby wall.
"I think this handcrafted piece is a belief in the mind and soul, which is very interesting. The artist utilises a gimmick that makes the piece interactive. It's a piece that makes the audience feel like they are part of it, which makes it more than just a painting on the wall. Therefore, it enables the audience to feel inspired, to be creative."
-- Claire, 31, business owner
"It's quite interesting. They move, which is a bit creepy and strange. They look like robot demons with meaningless faces."
-- Gael, 33, in between jobs
BACC (Floor 7)
No More Sewing Machine by Imhathai Suwatthanasilp
One of Thailand's leading female artists and a graduate of Silpakorn University, Imhathai Suwatthanasilp's works are known for conveying stories and meanings closely related to the materials such as her use of hair being crocheted in various forms. Her contributions to the Bangkok Art Biennale are two sets of light boxes, in which she took inspiration from the living experiences of sex workers in Chiang Mai. The first box, titled No More Sewing Machine, includes parts of used sewing machines with hair taken from workers tied around the parts as knots. The piece is meant to symbolise "happiness assumed by the society and those involved in organising alternative jobs for sex workers". The other box contains numerous moth wings, accompanied with a sign on the wall, which also serves as the title, Good Girls Go To Heaven, Bad Girls Go Everywhere.
"From my observation and understanding, one part of the piece consist of strands of hair and the other part consist of parts of sewing machines. The piece evokes a sense of fragility and risk. For example, if we are working with sewing machines and our hair gets entangled with it, it can put our lives in danger. When I look at this piece, it made me reflect on the fact that we should be cautious and not be negligent in whatever we do. We shouldn't put any part of us at risk."
-- Cat, 22, student
"This artist's creation is about the spare parts of sewing machines. The artist is conveying to the audience that instead of the use of threads, she is using her own hair. Personally, I feel like this artist has a sense of tidiness, is gentle and meticulous in her work."
-- Focus, 28, artist
BACC (Floor 7)
Tape Bangkok by Numen For Use Design Collective
The Numen For Use Design Collective, consists of artists and designers Sven Jonke, Christoph Katzler and Nikola Radeljkovic, and they have created a large cocoon-like structure from ceiling to floor that stretches along the BACC hallway. People can climb and enter the piece, and crawl around with ease. Traversing around the piece is meant to be a journey of "self-awareness and facilitates a sense of rebirth".
"I went inside and it feels like being in a tunnel where there are both wide and narrow spaces. The tunnel is made out of plastic. Inside it felt exciting yet strange."
-- Ter, 61, pensioner
"When inside the tunnel, it's very bright and uncomfortable at the same time. Once inside the tunnel, we don't know where it leads to."
-- Poppy, 23, content marketing
"The piece is very modern and conveys to the audience that people's thoughts are mysterious and complicated, just like the piece. It makes us think that what goes on inside a person's head is unpredictable."
-- Rorroong, 24, professional conference coordinator
BACC (Floor 8)
The Method 2018: A Possible Island? by Marina Abramovic Institute
The Marina Abramovic Institute (MAI), named after the influential artist, has gathered a number of artists and performers to perform acts of long endurance and one that invites the audience to help participate and interact with. One such piece, played by Myanmar's Lin Htet, involves the performer trapped inside a makeshift cage made of wood and barbwire, where Lin just stands staring blankly into space, caged like a prisoner.
"I feel like this piece makes me think about the Rohingya, the people who are being chased out of Myanmar. It makes the audience want to share love and kindness to the performer inside, and makes them realise how it would feel if they were being chased away. I feel sad and feel that these people deserve better just like anybody else."
-- Gane, 22, student
"As a Westerner, I immediately thought of the Nazi camps with all the barbwires. But then, knowing that he's [the performer] Burmese, it connects with issues in Southeast Asia. I think it is very universal, probably with some pattern from the past. However, when I saw it a second time, I was amazed with his concentration. He's not moving, he's not looking at anyone. I tried to catch his gaze but I could not. He reminds me of meditating monks, so I'm still wondering how he concentrates for eight hours non-stop. I tried to make a connection to religion and meditation, and I feel like it brings something to this hard topic. When I saw it for the first time, I was so moved I cried. So simple, so minimal. Looking at him, it almost like a captive animal, which makes you think of a zoo. It makes us think about nature and the human condition. You realise how inhumane we may become at some point."
-- Remy, 40, lecturer
Siam Discovery
Shot Guns by Choi Jeong Hwa
Choi Jeong Hwa has created a piece consisting of gun rifles painted in bright colours, which point inward towards each other to create a spherical shape. The guide states the piece is in Central Embassy but at the time of writing, the piece was in Siam Discovery, next to two of the artist's other works, Anthuriums Flowers and Alchemy, the latter being a part of his Happy Happy Project series of large-scale works.
"The impression I get is that there are guns, which is a symbol for violence. However, the artist paints the guns in bright colours, which makes the art piece colourful and makes the audience happy."
-- Wilawan, 33, business owner
BAB Box, One Bangkok
Happy Happy Project: Fruit Tree by Choi Jeong Hwa
Another one of Choi Jeong Hwa's pieces is outside BAB Box, in the middle of a wide, green field. Titled Fruit Tree, the piece is just that -- a large, inflatable tree with colourful fruits standing in for leaves.
"It's nice to look at. If there was a tree like this in real life, there would be an abundance of natural resources. It makes us think that we shouldn't cut down trees because for me, a tree is the centre of everything."
-- Jim, 38, housewife
BAB Box, One Bangkok
Standing Structures For Human Use by Marina Abramovic
Conceptual artist Marina Abramovic has placed structures made of wood and crystal with varying lengths for people to stand on and put on the headphones provided, sending them into a state of stillness, meditation and tranquillity.
"The artist wants us to experience the process of meditation. When you put on the headphones, it takes you to another world where there is no sound. It gives us the feeling of being alone, letting us hear our thoughts clearly, our breathing, as well as letting us visualise our inner self. The interesting part is that the crystals are at different heights, placed within each structure. As I moved to each structure, my body responded differently to each one when I stood on them. It's an experience that I can't explain but I like it."
-- Nina, 47, therapist
"I think these crystals can rebalance our energy in some points of our bodies, like the head, throat or heart, as well as the bare feet. When I did this, my body became unbalanced, and then swayed right and left and also moved in circles. I feel like I am attracted by these crystals in a very powerful way. It connects our body outside and inside."
-- Giula, 28, singer/dancer
BAB Box, One Bangkok
The Adventure of Sinxay by Hooptam Laos-Thai
Bringing painters from Isan and Laos, the Hooptam Laos-Thai artists collective have painted a large mural inspired by the Lao literary work Sao Sinxay, which traditionally deals with lessons of Buddhism and myths. The group has reinterpreted the work by adding contemporary elements to it where Sang Sinxay, who is on a quest to rescue his aunt from the Nyak Koumphan demon, travels from Vientiane in Laos, across the Mekhong River and encounters superheroes, demons and soldiers. g
"This is the first time I've seen this piece and I learned that the artist comes from Laos. The art seems to be a mix of styles -- between the works of Jean-Michel Basquiat, a graffiti artist, and the details seen in the works of Takashi Murakami, where he uses cartoon characters such as Doraemon and Pikachu, as you can see on the wall. This is part of the superflat artist movement that Murakami created. Besides the mix of art, the artist also mixes cultural characters and elements such as the yak [Thai giants] with contemporary paintings. There is a lot of detail in the art piece. What I want to see, since this is a wall painting, once the event is over, for the mural to be on display again in which it doesn't have to be on display for only three or four months."
-- Amnaj, 38, investment manager
"It originates from Laos, where there are only a few murals left. I was surprised why the artist uses the piece to parody elements of modern trends rather than those from traditional literature. I suppose that's modern art. I feel that this piece is strange because normally these kinds of wall paintings are about literature or religion but this piece deals with modern trends and politics."
-- Pei-Pei, 48, advertiser
