Exhibited as a part of a large international group exhibition held across several makeshift venues within Bangkok’s Chinatown, in Bangkok Survivors, the futuristic Curatorman has come to Thailand to promote SUPER(M)ART, when he slams the plans by Old Navin and his ageing art peers who are trying to open the long awaited Bangkok Contemporary Art Museum. The installation paralleled the real life ongoing debate over the art centre and its utilisation as a viewing platform versus commercial business space. Upstairs in About Café were the Perspex models of Old Navin and Curatorman, alongside another large production line variant of the Veronese painting, this time detailing the history of contemporary art in Thailand through critical, parodying referencing. The painting was peppered with locally recognisable artists, curators, critics, gallerists, art patrols, and sponsors. Dating back to Silpa Bhirasri (Corrado Feroci, 1892-1962), an Italian sculptor who is heralded as the father of modern art in Thailand, the painting also included important art works as well as art publications and other markers detailing the history of modern art in Thailand. The painting was surrounded by a montage of art associated material and a cartoon storyboard. In another room, art books were piled around like garbage while a large pin-board inviting visitors to donate ideas and respond to questions posed across wall posters, including ‘Do you want a Museum?’, ‘What is art?’, and ‘Why did you come to this exhibition?’ In the main room weekly likay performances took place on a specially designed stage. With an attempt to link traditional and contemporary culture, likay is a popular form of folk theatre often performed through much sarcasm and humour, with the Bangkok Survivors’ story of the (M)art Castle an allegory on the planned art centre. 

Gallery

Likay Performing

Super(m)art Bangkok Survivors

Comic