For Chanida Voraphitak’s first solo exhibition with BANGKOK CITYCITY GALLERY, the artist tells a grand narrative of environmental redemption and reflection within a pseudo-scientific universe told through her original Cable-boy and Ka-Fai angels characters.
Visitors are drawn into a world rich with allegory that ties in with the real life impact of urbanisation and pollution seen in the capital city. Over the course of a year, Voraphitak skillfully blended her art with paintings, works on paper, digital prints on fabric, sculpture, installations and Virtual Reality pieces that take viewers through a visceral adventure filled with technological excess.
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Elite+ recently caught up with her at the gallery, where she kindly shared her inspirations and the thoughts behind her works.
The exhibition is guided by the concept of anthropocentrism, in which her Ka-Fai ‘fiery ravens’ act as ethereal guides with forms inspired by various types of animal spirits that journey with viewers to see the artist’s observations in everyday environments.
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When asked about why there are electrical wirings sprawling across the exhibiting space, the artist explains the influence of sci-fi movies she has watched such as ‘Matrix’ and ‘Alien’ that connect with the city’s ubiquitous electrical wires; although chaotic, these wires serve as pathways for animals, like squirrels or birds, to flock together.
Voraphitak talks about the pollution that people in the city experience on a regular basis, the dangerous smog created from the PM 2.5 miniscule particles in the air that we breathe. Curious about what causes this phenomenon, she did some research and discovered how waste in dumpsites affect air and soil quality, not just in Thailand but beyond.
This theme is thoroughly explored with the artist recreating a journey into hollow Earth, and the artist does this well by introducing the element of virtual reality, with her original character Cable-boy, taking viewers to visually see the tangible crisis of technological waste and how the environmental issues are interconnected in not just Thailand, but in many countries around the world.
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More importantly, she also casts a spotlight on other new kinds of pollution such as people’s digital existence via social media communicated on smartphones that when discarded end up in the hands of waste collectors that sift through the discarded tech.
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Voraphitak applies her background as a graphic designer, subtly introducing RGB colours to her pieces, combined with the creative synergy with her husband and the inquisitive nature of her son shaping her outlook of the world we experience today.
Her attention to detail and adding personal touches can be seen through her work easily such as the exotic pets (she owns reptiles and dogs) introduced as emissaries carrying a profound ecological message. The artist is drawn to the number 23, and she materialised this number as one of the angel characters, making this solo exhibition a very complete experience for viewers to see the artist’s creative world.
Visitors can also catch two public programs at the gallery tied with this exhibition.
Saturday, 18 May 6 - 6.30 pm: Catch the much-anticipated return of HIGHLAG, a Nonthaburi-based experimental music duo (Romesilp Sookprasert and Voratorn Peerapongpan) introducing their blend of ambient, post-dubstep sounds sampling from diverse music genres of hip hop, jazz and 80s to 90s cultural sensibilities at BANGKOK CITYCITY GALLERY.
Saturday, 15 June, 3 - 4.30 pm: Tune in to Ming Panha’s talk on ‘Demons in the Orchard: The Nonhuman, Nature and Fictionality’ at the gallery’s BOOKSHOP LIBRARY. A Thammasat University lecturer from the Department of English Language and Literature, he will provide visitors with deep engagement in the examination of fundamental concepts concerning nature and nonhumans, including animals, plants, mineral stones, spirits and angels.
Visitors can view Chanida Voraphitak’s solo exhibition, PASSCODE , THE DARK DAY, for free from 18 May to 29 June at BANGKOK CITYCITY GALLERY from 1 to 6 pm (Closed on Sundays to Tuesdays and holidays).
Photo Courtesy of the Chanida Voraphitak and BANGKOK CITYCITY GALLERY
(Photographers: Woratach Paiboon & Akkarawin Krairiksh)
Information provided by BANGKOK CITYCITY GALLERY
