Bangkok Art and Culture Center (BACC) is inviting art enthusiasts to join us on the first BACC Art Talk 2016, which puts the spotlight on growth of artists and their art through inspiring journeys around the globe under Residency programs.

Beyond the institutional framework, Residency represents an important step forward for many artists as it provides a valuable opportunity to experience first-hand different cultures, languages, and ways of life – culminating in the emergence of new ideas and ultimately new art. Today, a variety of public and private organizations in Thailand are offering residency programs for artists.

 

For the first Art Talk in 2016, BACC is bringing the residency program into sharper focus by inviting experienced artists who have undergone the program to share their experiences and learnings. The Talk aims to provide up-and-coming artists and art enthusiasts insights into the life of the artist-in-residents, their works and unearth new found understandings of the different form of artworks.

 

*** Free entry

*** The talk will be in Thai and English.

*** For reservations and additional information please contact the Education Department at 02 214 6630-8 ext. 519 Email: [email protected]

 

Featured Artists

Indian photographer Anup Mathew Thomas specializes in the portrayal of local community life, bringing to light the history and traditions of his homeland in Kerala state. Thomas’ works take viewers on a journey back to forgotten times in a manner that walks the line between photographic documentary and art. Thomas has taken part in a wide range of international exhibits in the US, England, Poland, Spain, and Thailand. He was named by the BACC and Spain’s Han Nefkens Foundation as the winner of the 2015 Han Nefkens Foundation-BACC Award for Contemporary Art.

 

Lalinthorn Phencharoen is an Art Theory lecturer at Silpakorn University and artist whose interests lie in examining the intersection between art and science through conceptual drawings. Her works have been exhibited on local and international stages alike. In 2016, she will be representing Thailand in the Bangkok-Quebec Artists Exchange program, which is jointly organized by the Quebec Artists Network in Canada and BACC. In 2015, she was chosen as Thailand’s representative for international residency in “The Undivided Mind Part II: Art + Science Residency” program hosted by Khoj International Artists’ Association of India. Back in 2014, she took part in the creation of a large clay sculpture with Bunte Kuh e.V. and the general public in the “Räume durch Erleben entwerfen” (Creating Rooms through Experience) in Germany. She has also created a number of academic artworks.

 

Henry Tan’s primarily interactive works are driven by the shifting nature of communication under the forces of technological advances, societal changes, and modern means of media consumption. He seeks to question the act of artistic creation in an era where information as well as cultural contexts and boundaries are always on the move.

 

In 2014, Henry Tan founded Tentacles, an art organization that provides a space for artists and the general public to engage in exchanges of perspective, knowledge development, research, experiments, and presentation of works and talking points related to society and culture.

 

Tentacles has worked with artist networks in Thailand and other countries to expand its reach while also organizing artist community activities that allow foreign and Thai artists to work, conduct research, and exchange ideas together. In 2016, Tentacles plans to further expand its network and deepen the understanding of contemporary art in Southeast Asia along with such subjects as art history, comparative sociology, and history.

“Artist in residence” is a program designed to provide artists, creators, and academics with temporary residency in foreign environments to foster creativity driven by cultural exchange. Participating artists will be able to turn local places of interest and materials as the basis for their work, experience new ways of life, meet people from different cultures, immerse themselves in new art scenes, and gain new perspectives that contribute toward self-development.
 
Residency programs were firstly initiated in the western world during the early 20th century before rising to prominence in the 1960s as various public and private art organizations – including artist-run spaces – adopted the practice. Today, many institutes and organizations around the world are providing support for such programs, turning them into international art movements. In Thailand, the residency programs have just emerged into mainstream awareness in recent times.
 
Artists interested in the program must receive an invitation or qualify for the program under conditions determined by the organizer. As some of these programs are held as platforms for international artist exchanges, the organizer may provide not only a place of residence, studio, display space, and consultation from experts but also further support such as travel and living expenses or project financing.
 
Each program comes with its own theme, which determines the prerequisites for participating artists. Some programs may support only young artists, a mix of multiple schools of art, or specific expertise in visual arts, architecture, music, film, or drama. Meanwhile, academic residency programs are designed for art theorists, teachers, curators, art historians, researchers, critics, and writers to provide a platform for free expression.
 
The period of residency can last anywhere between two weeks to one year, depending on the scope of the program and activities involved. Each program comprises two main elements – the main one being the residency and exhibit, the secondary being academic activities such as discussions, lectures, or workshops. The end result of the program can be seen through new works of art, research, or written article for public consumption after the residency’s end.
 
A residency program not only enables an exchange of culture, knowledge, experiences, friendship, networking, research, or art itself, but also contributes to the existence of the artists. Each program doubles as a career opportunity and a chance to put works of art on display, paving the way to higher forms of study and providing the participant with invaluable benefits. Furthermore, Residents can serve as a window into their home country as they forge international ties with those they meet.