Art Central 2020 (Online)

17 March - 1 May 2020 

SAC Gallery Bangkok, Chiang Mai presents “The Macro Movements of Material II”, a group exhibition by Thai artist Uttaporn Nimmalaikaew, Narath Boriboonhiranthana, Weerapong Sansomporn, Thanathorn Suppakijjumnong and Japanese artist three.

 

As we presented “The Macro Movements of Material I” in Art Central 2019, As the global economy develops at a quick-pace, fully-integrating the nations of the world in a flow of money and free trade, cultures and societies are fracturing and reassembling daily. For our Macro movements of Material part II, we selected 4 artists to explain more how the materials weave and flow in and out of our lives, often with little introspection as to the effect they have on us and our surroundings. As complex as we are as individuals and societies, the things we value and mold reflect how layered our existence is. We’ve always been interconnected with nature but now we are becoming interconnected with our own creations as well. Materials can be deceptive, holding high prestige with whichever intangible worth we bestow upon them.

 

As three’s artwork embodies the commodification of childlike insecurity it revels in misplaced value. The melted toys represent the chaos and dissection of the conglomeration of mashed up personalities that are packaged and sold to us as our ideals/idols. The overconsumption of this false idols is one of the key deceptions that mold or future adult selves. Materials can also be almost impossibly symbolic, easily acquired and discarded as irrelevant memories in passing years. We need materials to help nurture our curiosity, as our inquiries alone announce our futile independence.

 

As Weerapong Sansomporn’s wooden works draw a link between humans and nature, it is particularly connected to water. Humans desire to stay alive can often be manifested in many social manners, but at its source our biological link to water is unwavering. The solidity of the wood and the illuminous colors in tandem provide a strong reminder of this fact. Other materials help us explore concepts that have global significance, while we mostly stay rooted in our local routines. They help us analyze complex problems as we try to make reason of our ethics. Materials can hide the confidence in our ability to perceive each other though reality shows that instead we are often confused, as we live life evading the responsibility of our actions and their consequences, and his metal works resulted from a creative process that was immersed in a search for finding this truth through a blend of memory, experience, feelings and skills.

 

As Narath Boriboonhiranthana’s works highlight her perforation technique performed by knife called “knife drawing” this connects the true feelings that she has for the figures she creates. The challenge of this practice is how to control the knife and this perfection requires an intensive focus and a flawless skill. Much like the mastery of driving the self through the experiment of life. Also too, materials can be seemingly real enough that they can help us learn to critically appreciate our own cultural values and allow us to evaluate a range of points of view. We can take risks with which materials we accept into our use, as we approach uncertainty with forethought, being resourceful and resilient with them in the face of challenges and change.

 

As Uttaporn Nimmalaikaew’s artwork is a mesmerizing system of various layers of fine, interwoven fabric it sits suspended in an exceptional 3-dimensional configuration. Each piece is painted and printed, shaped and layered to emanate an illusion of our mental chaos. The works’ airy nature leaves space and gaps for contemplation on finding a common sense between the audience and the artist. If fully analyzed we realize that materials can help us in balancing our lives intellectually, physically and emotionally, only if we can ultimately recognize our interdependence with them.

 

Thanathorn Suppakijjumnong’s new series complex printing methods highlight multinational materials, this series uses the award-winning Lottali to create orphanages, in terms of fulfilling various materials happiness with many teachings to encourage and remind them to continue living.