• LIFE

  Exhibition weighs in on nature of art and beauty

  Life, Kaona Pongpipat, Published on 30/11/2016

  » It seems that everyone in the world but this writer had made it to the opening of Erwin Wurm's "The Philosophy Of Instructions" at Bangkok Art and Culture Centre last Friday. The heavy rain and traffic were to blame.

• LIFE

  Recalling Thailand's darkest hour

  Life, Kaona Pongpipat, Published on 15/09/2016

  » Next month marks the 40th anniversary of the Oct 6, 1976, event, or Thammasat University Massacre -- a tragedy in which arguably more than 100 students were killed by Thai state forces and far-right paramilitaries, and in commemoration of that, critically-acclaimed director and choreographer Teerawat Mulvilai of B-Floor Theatre presents his latest performance Fundamental which is running at the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre.

• LIFE

  Wet bodies

  Life, Kaona Pongpipat, Published on 29/06/2016

  » Over the past weekend, it appears that practically every familiar face made it to Hotel Art Fair, a fair wherein hotel rooms, showers and toilets duly ceased to function temporarily to showcase art. Just like how the same crowd made it the week before to the opening of Bangkok Citycity Gallery's hit show by director Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit, and just like they will this weekend head to MAIIAM Contemporary Art Museum's inaugural show "The Serenity Of Madness" in Chiang Mai, the first retrospective of Apichatpong Weerasethakul.

• LIFE

  Picture the words

  Life, Kaona Pongpipat, Published on 22/06/2016

  » What's not to like about director Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit's debut solo exhibition "I Write You A Lot", which just opened last weekend at Bangkok Citycity Gallery?

• LIFE

  Trafficking in art

  Life, Kaona Pongpipat, Published on 16/03/2016

  » The notion that an artist can exist alone and thrive independently, according to artist and curator Henry Tan of the Tentacles contemporary art space, is long over. The same applies to art spaces in Bangkok. This explains why there's a profusion of co-operative projects between art galleries practically all year round.

• LIFE

  Back on track

  Life, Kaona Pongpipat, Published on 25/11/2015

  » Aside from "Journey Of 999 Elephants" -- an exhibition in which 999 artists joined to paint 999 exact same models of elephants that are now strewn everywhere from CentralWorld, Zen, on the BTS Skywalk over Ratchaprasong intersection and on the second floor leading to the entrance of Central Chidlom to Central Embassy -- the highlight of the capital's art scene this month is "Galleries' Night", which is taking place this Friday and Saturday.

• LIFE

  Examining urbanity

  Life, Kaona Pongpipat, Published on 03/06/2015

  » Stepping into the dimly lit Jim Thompson Art Center, one immediately feels connected. The parade of motorcycles is more than a common sight in Bangkok. The colourful car headlining and flaring lights are reminiscent of a songthaew ride home. Other video installations featuring in the space's current exhibition "Missing Links" are instantaneously relatable, even without any explanatory text.

• LIFE

  A monthly column rounding up the best of the capital's art scene

  Life, Kaona Pongpipat, Published on 29/04/2015

  » It took me almost two hours to get to the opening of Speedy Grandma's new exhibition last Friday, due to the rush-hour traffic on Rama IV and from Surawong Road to the old town of Charoen Krung. A parking spot around there is also impossible to find. This being the hottest month of the year (some say the hottest in 55 years), the 10-minute walk from my car to the gallery felt like one additional hour.

• LIFE

  Facades of normality

  Life, Kaona Pongpipat, Published on 25/02/2015

  » Try clicking "join" to just a few exhibition opening events on Facebook and you will realise how overwhelming the Bangkok art scene can actually be. There are notifications of pre-opening private views, pre-opening talks, opening parties, special performances, and, of course, an exhibition closing party again. These plethora of events are totally understandable, however, because art spaces in Bangkok are becoming more about being a fun place to hang out, and, it has to be said, art does get better after a few beers.

• LIFE

  Linguistic realities

  Life, Kaona Pongpipat, Published on 04/08/2014

  » With indecipherable squiggles on the whiteboard, July Premprecha, a Burmese language teacher, wrote a few simple greetings to her class. Although it is only halfway into the first term with Burmese in the curriculum, the Thai students of Pichairattanakarn School in Ranong province can already respond to simple questions with ease.

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