Title:Holy Water Burns
“A seer master once predicted that there would be dead vines climbing from one side to another, and the river would flow over twenty cubits.”
The Thai State instills in its people that absolute obedience is the core value of being Thai. In that event, when scenarios of exploitation occur under the guise of those in power, the voices of the people are silenced. Thereby, Holy Water Burns portrays the traumatic imprints of ancestors who resided alongside the river. While the construction of a hydroelectric dam undeniably contributes to the country's acclaimed achievements, it has left the locals who were forcefully expropriated behind in their faithlessness and despair, not even benefiting from the electric light that their lands sacrificed to produce. Holy Water Burns presents in three video pieces. The visuals depict a man living by the river, entirely unaware of the impending changes. Simultaneously with a visual of massive bodies of water swashing and the symbolic evolution of humans reverting to amphibious forms.
BIO
A. Piriyapokanon studied Motion Pictures and Still Photography at Chulalongkorn University. She possesses a strong appreciation for art that revolves around the lives of Thai locals facing physical and mental oppression due to social injustice and politics.
Her films have competed in the Thai Short Film and Video Festival by the Thai Film Archive and Purin Pictures' Short Film Camp 2021 by the Purin Foundation.
Beyond motion pictures, her installation work has also been featured at the Bangkok Art & Culture Centre, Tawee Ratchaneekorn Art Gallery, , 6060 Art Space, and No Nation Art Gallery.
Piriyapokanon is currently pursuing a Master of Fine Arts at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
Title: It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
“The quality of mercy is not strain’d, It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven Upon the place beneath.” From William Shakespeare’s “The Merchant of Venice”
Thai society is a gambling welfare state in full swing. Only a few sick people will receive treatment. Only a portion of the poor will be helped. Only a select few deserving individuals receive the rewards they deserve. Everyone, regardless of their background, must struggle to obtain what is rightfully theirs, as the concept of welfare in the Thai state is often perceived as a grace bestowed upon us by those who provide it. The metaphor of rain falling gently from the heavens from It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven is a representation of the familiar sky ceiling. Someone who reaches their hand to the sky may have experienced divine blessings that washed away their poverty. It is comparable to randomly falling bird droppings. Depending on one's interpretation, an occurrence may be perceived as either good or bad luck, much like an unexpected encounter with bird droppings landing unintentionally on someone's head.
BIO
Bunraksa Sasaeng is a filmmaker based in Bangkok, Thailand. After graduating from the Faculty of Communication Arts at Chulalongkorn University, Sasaeng works as a podcast producer and part-time film crew.
In addition to her passion for producing, Sasaeng focuses her attention on the specific issue of her life as an Asian girl who has experienced physical and mental oppression. This led to the creation of her graduation short film, Bonne en Rouge (2020), which received the second prize in the 25th Thai Short Film and Video Festival's Student Short Film Competition. It also garnered the Distinguished Prize in SCG's Young Thai Artist Award 2021 and was nominated as the best student short film in the Bangkok Critics Assembly Awards 2021. Furthermore, it was selected for the ReelFocus section during the Beijing International Film Festival 2023.
In 2021, Sasaeng participated as a producer, alongside A. Piriyapokanon, in the short film project titled She Lives In You, which was chosen as a finalist in the Purin Pictures' Short Film Camp 2021.
Her latest project, A Normal Day in Thung Si Long, was selected to participate in the Short Film Incubator 2023 organized by Objectifs: Centre for Photography and Film and Momo Film Co.
Title: In The Name Of Nong Hin Village
A short film tells the story of the journey of the villagers of Nong Hin Village, Yasothon Province, from the point of view of the remaining residents. It explores the history of the village's establishment and depicts the way of life in the present day. The film presents an endless journey that connects ancestors to descendants.
BIO
Laksanapon Tarapan graduated from the Faculty of Communication Arts, Chulalongkorn University. During college years, she has made several short films and documentaries. She is enthusiastic about exploring life based on social context through filmmaking. Previously she directed a short documentary named Dear Rose (2021) which portrayed the life of her aunt ‘Rose’ Isaan woman who endeavored to study and work in Bangkok but unfortunately faced a tragic death due to her poor quality of life. The film has won the second prize in the documentary competition of 25th Thai Short Film and Video Festival competition by Thai Film Archive. Furthermore, it has been officially selected for S-EXPRESS; Southeast Asia Short Films Screening Programme which showed in Mini Film Festival and Minikino Film Week. At the present time, Laksanapon works as a project manager for urban development initiatives that center on interviewing locals to discuss ideas for improving the neighborhood's livability.
Title: Embracing Virtue Through the 12 Animal Realms
Under the changing governance and centralization of power in the Kingdom of Siam, as it merged with the Kingdom of Lan Na, local communities resisted the imposed reforms. This resistance found expression in religious preservation, spiritual practices, and the creation of traditions. One such tradition is the annual worship of the zodiac animal spirits, following the Lan Na style. The storytelling and local customs reveal a refusal to conform within a politically controlled context and a demand for justice by reclaiming identity through the revitalization of religion, places, and narratives.
The artwork depicts the story of a struggle, symbolized by the fusion of human forms with animal organs representing the zodiac animals. It illustrates how beliefs and traditions are forged by a group seeking to assert their identity, claim power, and negotiate with the governing authority of the Kingdom of Siam. This fight through faith aims to keep their voice alive.
BIO
Mathus Kaewdum graduated from the Faculty of Communication Arts at Chulalongkorn University, majoring in Journalism. The inception of assortment arts or collage art originated from Mathus’s personal interest in presenting political matters since 2020. Over time, it has evolved into an Instagram account called Cerebrum_art.original. The name draws inspiration from the Cerebrum, a prominent part of the brain responsible for movements, thoughts, memory, emotion, reaction, and recognition. Collage art, like the Cerebrum, encompasses the science of diversity and variety, blending harmoniously. Mathus firmly believes that everyone harbors unanswerable questions about life, such as the purpose of life, existence, and death. However, the answers to these questions are not as crucial as one's sincere approach to them. Consequently, Mathus's artwork primarily revolves around themes of belief, faith, and humanity, particularly exploring deities. These deities are perceived as entities superior to humans, capable of providing answers to the unanswerable, or is it solely up to humans to seek answers on their own?
Title: Modern Vernacular Thai Graphic Design
Modern Vernacular Thai is a design created by a designer who drew inspiration from the work of Vernacular Design, incorporating rural Thai content. It also incorporates elements of pop culture while reflecting the narratives of the Thai people. This collection of graphic design, Modern Vernacular Thai, comprises 24 works that are designed using the structures, elements, and principles of graphic design borrowed from Vernacular Thai culture. These works are categorized into four different moods and tones: Merry, Mysterious, Provincial, and Progressive.
BIO
Ananti Bantoengsuk graduated from the Faculty of Fine and Applied Arts, specifically the Department of Creative Arts with a major in Graphic Design, at Chulalongkorn University. Ananti has a strong interest in Graphic Design inspired by Vernacular Thai culture. As a result, she conducted a thesis titled Modern Vernacular Thai Graphic Design, using the method of Crowdsourcing to explore and collect works on Vernacular Thai designs in order to identify the structures, elements, and principles of graphic design borrowed from Vernacular Thai culture. The thesis, Modern Vernacular Thai Graphic Design, was exhibited for the first time at the 30th Creative Arts Thesis Exhibition in 2018 at Chulalongkorn University. Additionally, it became a semi-finalist in the Degree Show 2018 Awards in the category of Graphic Design, organized by Art4D Magazine.
