Showing 1 - 10 of 29
When art gets stifled
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 21/11/2022
» 'Art is short, a case is long," read a banner. Students apparently hijacked the well-known motto "art is long, life is short" by Prof Silpa Bhirasri, the father of Thai modern art, in protest of Chiang Mai University's legal action against its own lecturers and a student who "trespassed" on the art centre to exhibit works, some of which might challenge those in power, last year. It is a case in point for stifling democracy in Thai art.
Memes of dissent
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 14/08/2023
» It is not as whimsical as it seems. After the onset of the largest pro-democracy movement since the military coup in 2014, university and high school students cuddled hamster dolls and ran around in circles. "Delicious tax!", hundreds of them sang, from a cartoon jingle at Democracy Monument in late July 2020. Crowdsourced from a social media platform, Hamtaro, a shorthand for caged mice demanding freedom, spawned many internet memes, including a greedy caricature of junta leader Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha.
Check out these documentaries of disaster
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 28/03/2023
» Following the disappearance of a caesium-137 tube, the discovery of radiated red dust in a metal foundry in Prachin Buri has sparked fear of contamination of radioactive substances in the environment. I've picked some documentaries and films that portray the man-made impact of radiation on communities.
Challenging the norm
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 07/11/2022
» Yaoi or Boys' Love (BL) has grown from an underground to mainstream fictional genre. It emerged from women's manga comics in Japan in the 1980s, which portrayed the relationship between young boys based on the seme (active) and uke (receptive) dichotomy. Through an informal fan network, the transnational phenomenon came to Thailand in the early 1990s and a subculture was formed online.
Three songs for your New Year party
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 29/12/2022
» No matter how tumultuous your life is, New Year is said to be a golden time to turn over a new leaf. In the lead-up to the end of the year, three local artists have released inspirational tracks to let go of the past for a new beginning.
A sustainable retreat
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 21/09/2023
» In the southwest of Phnom Penh lies the region's largest surviving rainforest. After landing, I met other travel companions to spend three nights together at a riverside camp. We were split into two vans and headed for Sihanoukville. Downtown shophouses and heavy traffic gave way to lush scenery. No sooner had the hustle faded into the distance than rice paddies, palm trees and mountains came into sight. Here, Cambodia's nature remains undisturbed. In more or less two hours, we arrived at the camp depot.
Tranquil beauty
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 14/09/2023
» A powerful earthquake that struck the northwest of Kathmandu in 2015 sent a ripple of destruction through the country. Not far from its epicentre, Bhaktapur bore the brunt of the natural disaster that damaged houses and religious structures. After years of reconstruction, despite lingering signs of ruin, this ancient town continues to preserve harmony between the old and the new.
Snowy peaks and vibrant culture
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 07/09/2023
» Debris remains the lingering evidence of a massive earthquake in Nepal in 2015. With the epicentre in the northwest of Kathmandu, followed by hundreds of aftershocks, the natural disaster killed around 9,000 people, injured over 100,000 and impacted around 8 million. As Nepal began to recover, the coronavirus pandemic brought the world to a complete standstill and tourism cracked and collapsed like people's homes.
Move Forward won't vote for Pheu Thai PM candidate
Thana Boonlert, Published on 21/08/2023
» The Move Forward Party (MFP) said it would vote against the prime ministerial candidate of the Pheu Thai Party because Pheu Thai was forming a government with military-linked parties.
Artists rally to save the Chao Mae Thap Thim Shrine
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 23/08/2023
» Hemmed in on all sides by construction, colourful paintings are nailed to the metal sheet fences of an age-old community. Inside, there is thoughtful mixed-media artwork, performances and memorabilia left behind in the wake of displacement. Artists are campaigning all-out for the protection of the Chao Mae Thap Thim Shrine ahead of a first court ruling that could result in demolition at the end of the month.