Hidden Agenda |
|||||||||||||||||
|
Hidden Agenda is considered the first 'in door' show of Project 304. It features ten works by six local artists; Surasi Kusolwong, Natee Utarit, Michael Shaownasai, Monkol Yammanee, Chitti Kasemkitvattana and Sajeetip Nimvijit. The artist's works in various mediums, including sculpture, site-specific installation, photography, sound and performance. It is a concept oriented and didactic exhibition. This exhibition attempts to explore the maipenrai (never mind) culture in Thailand and raises questions regarding to social behavior of Thai people in the 1990's. Amids5 the clashing of conservative ideas and modernization) or post modern or post everything, if you will), westernization and modernization have a strong influence and dominate Thailand in every aspects. Shifting from agricultural society into industrial world, the fast-food culture and shopping in supermarket replace rice eating habit and shopping in local market. Whether we like it or not, we are in the age of technology and globalization, where mobile phone, CNN, Email and Internet become significant communication tools of Thai middle class. Before we enter the new millenium, it is important to examine what has been achieved in the age of globalization? How did this transition effect Thais as individuals? What is happening to Thai culture now? How have these situation been reflected, interpreted and translated into works of arts?
The exhibition attempts to uncover some aspects of Thailand's hidden agenda. It examines questions such as whether or not these topics should be addressed in the realm of arts, and whether the member of the society can start discussion directly with one another. Artists works with topics including the confusion of their own status, cultural identity, social changes, and investigating the minority group behavior in Thai homogeneous culture like gay and lesbian issues, and public and private. In order to integrate art with everyday life, these artists search for the new language to represent their arts. The presentation is quite challenging for audience who are familiar with Thai perception. Works will consist of participatory element which allow audience to experience and interact with the works by using all sense like seeing, listening, touching, and smelling.
With a site specific installation, works are dialoging with each other by their concepts and technique. Inspired by his surroundings, Surasi Kusolwong explore the public and private issues by using found objects and every objects to create his site specific installation. He alter the meaning of objects by selecting some of his personal belongings and recreating them in different contexts. Cultural and sexual identity are targeted by Michael Shaowanasai and Monkol Yammanee. Michael uses his own large - scale computer generating photograph incorporated with sound to address cultural identity issue.
Monkol's technique is similar to Surasi and Michael. In his installations, he uses everyday objects to satirize the genre of gays in Thai society. In comparison to Monkol, Sajeetip Nimvijit renders her private life into public by using her journal as an artist's book. It is a means of artist's dialogue with her inner self. Her works portrays the complicity of herself as a woman in this society and her sexual preference. Urban landscape and teenagers versus drug culture are depicted by Chitti Kasemkitvattana. His site specific installation is composed of painting, polaroid, photograph, furniture and found objects. It is an attempt to investigate the relationship between the two states of consciousness. Unlike the others, Natee Utarit avoid working with every life object. His mixed media depicted his observation of Thai people regarding to the shifting of traditional value which has been dominated by western culture without any resistance.
Gridthiya
Gaweewong
|
|||||||||||||||||
