Showing 41 - 50 of 154
Art as a political act
Life, Kaona Pongpipat, Published on 18/03/2016
» It was with a feeling of nausea and disgust that Chiang Mai-based artist Mit Jai Inn spent one month working on his new series of abstract paintings, now on display and part of the exhibition "Wett" at Gallery Ver at N22 in Bangkok. Mit's series is entitled "Junta Monochrome" -- obviously not for the works themselves -- for the art space has exploded with every colour imaginable; rather the title conveys the artist's contempt for the reality outside: a junta-ruled country where things are either black or white, where if you're not a khon dee (good person), the artist says, you are inevitably the bad guy.
Ratchaburi's roll of the dice
Life, Kaona Pongpipat, Published on 04/03/2016
» Almost five years ago the late writer and National Artist in literature Prabhassorn Sevikul wrote a short story. The text was not published on paper but painted along the bank of Mae Khlong river, and you had to walk the total of 3km to finish the story. The ephemeral aspect of this, along with 74 other artworks installed around Ratchaburi, featured in the first edition of the community-based "Art Normal" event.
Rocky road of life
Life, Kaona Pongpipat, Published on 03/03/2016
» Bangkok-based English-speaking theatre troupe Peel the Limelight's previous performance, The True History Of The Tragic Life And Triumphant Death Of Julia Pastrana, was quite a success at Bangkok Theatre Festival last year winning Best Direction of a Play and Best Performance by an Ensemble from the International Association of Theatre Critics (Thailand Centre). Now, they are back with yet another promising production of the Pulitzer Prize-winning How I Learned To Drive by the American playwright Paula Vogel.
Dracula: more handsome than scary
Life, Kaona Pongpipat, Published on 25/02/2016
» Tickets for Dracula: Blood Is Life, Ewing Entertainment Worldwide's debut stage play in Thailand, start at 1,200 baht and we simply may never agree on whether the show is worth the price. What we will agree on, however, is that Chulachak "Hugo" Chakrabongse, starring as Count Dracula, is a good-looking man. Women love him and so do men, straight or gay.
Fun hits and misses
Life, Kaona Pongpipat, Published on 24/02/2016
» The award for best art exhibition opening reception this month goes to café/gallery Counting Sheep Corner on Sukhumvit 61 with Thomas Carrigan's paintings. Despite the fact that it was the bland Singha Light instead of the much-loved original, we had nothing to complain about because the free-flow started before 6pm and continued until late.
Saatchi's Thai show coming to Bangkok
Life, Kaona Pongpipat, Published on 17/02/2016
» With the exhibition "Thailand Eye Presented By Prudential" at Saatchi Gallery in London now over, the book Thailand Eye: Contemporary Thailand Art, a comprehensive overview of the scene, was recently launched in anticipation of the exhibition's move to Bangkok Art and Culture Centre in March. Seventy-three artists are highlighted in this book and it serves as a preface to the show, with one section featuring the 23 artists in the exhibition.
A beautiful yet random mess
Life, Kaona Pongpipat, Published on 17/02/2016
» Perhaps "Heavy Metal", a new show at Tars Gallery, was not that well thought out. That was just an initial response, though. The whitewashed walls and good lighting of this newly opened space make a good start for any show; the clean minimal set-up of its debut show "Untitled 1" last year was proof of that. But now, it's a lot more complex -- "messy" may be the preferred term -- primarily with a scatter of potted plants, bright pastel-painted canvases and images of Roman sculptures mounted on plasterboard.
Thais take the Lion City
Life, Kaona Pongpipat, Published on 03/02/2016
» Singapore's Art Week is over but it doesn't mean there aren't any good remnants left. The newly-opened National Gallery, for one, is hardly what one would call a remnant, with a comprehensive collection of works by Southeast Asian artists from the 19th century onwards which would take at least a day to completely take in. There are also, of course, a few major shows at the old military quarters-turned-art hub Gillman Barracks, such as Steve Mccurry's iconic photography show, Yinka Shonibare's new sculptures and Joan Jonas' acclaimed "They Come To Us Without A Word" exactly as seen in last year's Venice Biennale.
Wonderwalls and more
Life, Kaona Pongpipat, Published on 27/01/2016
» Since we have yet to find an art school for, or exhibitions by, the much-hyped angel child dolls, Art Matters this month is going to make do with the same old current show round-up.
A calendar for the 99.3%
Life, Kaona Pongpipat, Published on 08/01/2016
» New year is for new beginnings. This is as much a cliché as it is true. While it is just a new day, we carry the illusion that comes with Jan 1. The past is suddenly forgiven and forgotten, a clean slate: new hobbies, new goals, new habits, new lives, and, of course, new calendars. Now, the first week of January is already over, and if you are still in search for the right calendar to guide you through the year, there's never a more fun place to search for one than our beloved country, Thailand.