It has been 242 years since Bangkok was established on the eastern banks of the Chao Phraya River in 1782 by King Rama I. Things have changed considerably since then and to showcase modern Bangkok in its various aspects, including society, urban landscape, lifestyle, art and culture, the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre invited 13 artists, creators, activists and researchers from various fields to reflect on the city through creative works, archives, activities and contemporary media at an exhibition titled "Bangkok 242, A Space For Sharing".
The exhibition is curated by Luckana Kunavichayanont, Pracamkrong Vajiravarabhakti and Kalaya Kovidvisith. Luckana explained that 13 people created works based on the concept of "Bangkok Survival". Since these creative individuals came up with different interpretations, the exhibition reflects both positive and negative sides of Bangkok.
Pracamkrong and Kalaya agreed that Bangkok is a diverse city with different social classes.
"The exhibition offers perspectives on both happiness and sorrow. Bangkokians can experience happiness and sadness on the same day," said Pracamkrong.
"Bangkok is a city for everyone and not only limited to Thais because there are foreigners living in the city as well. Therefore, opinions about Bangkok vary. Some issues in Bangkok need to be addressed through social media to be solved, which highlights the negative aspects of society. However, curators believe that some of these issues can be approached with sarcasm and incorporating positive content or creativity," Kalaya added.
Noise pollution is a problem in Bangkok that has been overlooked. ESIC lab, a group from the Faculty of Engineering at King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi, have raised awareness of noise pollution by creating Noisy Bangkok: The Ignored Pollutant.
Noisy Bangkok: The Ignored Pollutant by ESIC lab.
Thitiyan Sonthikasetrin, a researcher at ESIC, explained that the noise pollution issue occurred to him after he travelled to other countries and found places to be quieter than Bangkok.
"I had a great experience while engaging in various activities in other cities. Most Bangkokians don't notice the noise pollution because they have lived with it for so long, so they are accustomed to it," said Thitiyan.
Noisy Bangkok: The Ignored Pollutant consists of two parts. First, data visualisations show fluctuating graphs of sound intensity levels recorded by the Pollution Control Department from several locations in Bangkok. Viewers will see that these locations have sound levels above 80 decibels, which can harm the human auditory system.
The other piece presents the vibration of noises. It achieves this through loudspeakers with foam balls placed inside. The foam balls bounce up and down in response to vibrations produced from loudspeakers. This demonstrates the power of sound and how it can damage the eardrum.
Waste pollution is another issue in Bangkok. Artist Wishulada Panthanuvong created a collection titled Canal Of Treasure from waste. She created a garden art piece, I'm In High Spirits, which displays many flowers and pinwheels made of aluminium cans and lids. In the garden stand human sculptures made of old mannequins decorated with 2,500 plastic bottles. The sculptures were created to raise awareness of microplastics.
I'm In High Spirits by Wishulada Panthanuvong.
Going To Bangkok, an eight-minute film by Nitivat Cholvanichsiri.
Two art pieces with the same title, Wholeheartedly, were made of plastic straws. While one piece resembles a lung, the other depicts a map of 1,980 canals in Bangkok.
While many people decide to leave their rural homes for a better life in Bangkok, there is no guarantee of success. Going To Bangkok is an eight-minute film created by Nitivat Cholvanichsiri. This intriguing short, with a plot twist at the end, was adapted from a short story written by Nandanee. It tells a tale of people from rural areas who struggle after leaving their hometown to pursue a better life in Bangkok.
The film Soon To Be Forgotten was created by the Film Archive and Rolling Wild. Chalida Uabumrungji, the curator, explained that the inspiration came from an 8mm home movie in the Film Archive's collection. This particular home movie captured the interests of its maker and showcased his efforts, but unfortunately it was eventually neglected and forgotten.
Soon To Be Forgotten is a compilation of footage from this movie along with new footage from eight filmmakers. This 40-minute film will take viewers on a journey through the past and present of Bangkok.
Discussing issues in Bangkok can be stressful. Three artists, Korn Neeyabhan, Koson Kajeekailas and Natthapong Rattanachoksirikul, make it more entertaining by addressing these problems through a giant board game called Snakes And Ladders: The Good Life In Bangkok.
"As toy art creators, we were trying to figure out how to make discussing Bangkok's issues fun," Korn said. "We then recalled the old board game, Snakes And Ladders."
Soon To Be Forgotten by Film Archive and Rolling Wild.
Snakes And Ladders: The Good Life In Bangkok.
In Snakes And Ladders: The Good Life In Bangkok, the snakes represent difficulties such as the BTS and MRT being out of service, rains and flooding, traffic jams and taxis refusing to take passengers. In the game, players have a chance to win prizes through a lottery draw. Winning a prize allows them to move ahead several spaces.
Curated by Vorapoj Osathapiratana of Din Sor Si Group, Blooming Bangkok features a sculpture which resembles a large tree. The tree is adorned with numerous colourful paper lanterns that hang from it. On the ground, plastic bottles filled with coloured sand are placed alongside wooden boxes. Visitors can create their own sand art within the wooden boxes.
"Blooming Bangkok is a collection of artworks from community art festivals in various neighbourhoods of Bangkok. The curators aim to introduce viewers to hidden values in Bangkok. While Bangkok is known for its hustle and bustle, there are still communities where residents interact with each other. Hopefully, this reflection will help viewers understand the lifestyles of each community and inspire them to explore different neighbourhoods," explained Luckana.
Painted by Kwanchai Lichaikul, U-Scape is a black and white mural created by assembling 12 individual paintings. Each painting depicts a different space, such as a theme park, a public park or a historical site. The special feature is that all the paintings can be rearranged to form a new, seamless composition. At the exhibition, viewers can choose pieces they like and recreate a city the way they want.
As the curator, Luckana hopes the exhibition will encourage visitors to reflect upon themselves to improve the city.
"I hope art will provoke viewers to consider how they can contribute to make the city a better place. For foreign visitors, the exhibition serves as an introduction to Bangkok, allowing them to see both the problems and the beauty of the city in a way that is not typically portrayed in mainstream media. This leads to a better understanding."
"Bangkok 242, A Space For Sharing" runs at the Main Exhibition Gallery, 8th floor of Bangkok Art and Culture Centre, until May 19. Admission is free. For more information, facebook.com/baccpage.
From left, curators Kalaya Kovidvisith, Luckana Kunavichayanont and Pracamkrong Vajiravarabhakti.
Blooming Bangkok, curated by Vorapoj Osathapiratana of Din Sor Si Group.
U-Scape by Kwanchai Lichaikul.
