STUDENTS WHO are blind and visually impaired aren’t going to understand or appreciate art through rote learning and other conventional means.

That finding recently earned Associate Professor Sanchai Santiwes of Khon Kaen University’s Faculty of Architecture the esteem of the Program on the Community and Social Development Division of the Thailand Research Fund (TRF).

Dr Sanchai’s research project, “Media Design for Art Education (Visual Arts) Learning Management for the Blind Upper-Secondary-School Students”, determined that using conventional methods to teach theoretical art to visually impaired students in the classroom leaves them feeling “disconnected”.

They continue having issues perceiving art, he found.

To overcome those issues, more efficient teaching materials are needed to “fill in” what’s visually missing. In his project, he sought to give students “equal opportunity” to learn about art by introducing different media and equipment.

“Art is unlike any other subject – it’s not science or mathematics,” Sanchai points out. “It aims to fulfil the mind. Art education for the blind can’t be about simply evaluating visually beautiful paintings. It has to let them express their feeling and emotions.”

The associate professor did his initial research while pursuing his doctorate at Silpakorn University’s Faculty of Decorative Art that included developing a computer program to help visually impaired students draw and colour. The resulting thesis earned him honours with distinction in 2014.

“I created a method using a touch screen where colours were applied with music notes. The 12 music notes matched 12 beautiful colours.

“My program didn’t become |popular because the technology advanced so fast that it was soon |outdated. But what was more |important was discovering that blind students can create really pure art.

“Even though these children can’t see and often don’t really comprehend what the colour is, they don’t paint without making a plan first,” Sanchai says. “They usually wanted to use red for a heart, green for a leaf and blue for the sky. I asked one student, though, why he used grey to paint a tree, and he said sometimes an artist has different ways of creating art.

“And that’s true enough. That’s the impression art provides, just as it does for anyone with full sight. So I was very impressed and really inspired to continue working on this issue. The more I learn about art education for the blind, though, the more I see what’s lacking.”

According to his interviews with blind students and their teachers, art class is typically regarded as a leisure activity. These are regular schools where the impaired students learn alongside hundreds of sighted peers, and it’s impossible for art teachers to pay special attention to the blind youngsters.

Leisure time or not, the visually impaired kids can’t help but feel left out, and it becomes an extra burden on them. They get discouraged and shun activities. They lose interest in developing art skills and in learning about aesthetics.

What Sanchai has done is create a simple instructional manual for teachers, currently a prototype. It outlines seven types of “properly” designed learning methods in art, including Visual Art Theory, Art History, Aesthetics and Art Critique.

The idea is to enable blind students to learn both theoretical and practical art without forgetting that art is often an abstract representation of actual visual impressions.

It’s obvious enough to anyone that impaired students can learn about sculpture more easily than other art forms. They can feel the shape of the sculpture and in fact might have superior tactile skills.

Similarly, architecture is quickly understood if paper models of buildings can be supplied. And there are such models available of famous structures, from the Pyramids of Giza to Paris’ Notre Dame Cathedral.

But learning about the two-dimensional arts – drawing and painting – poses difficulties. For the students to properly understand a painting, a low-relief rendering of it can be an effective tool.

When they can touch the prominent ridges and furrows of the surface, they can experience many famous artworks. The roughly applied pigment of a Van Gogh masterpiece is relatively easy to appreciate, for example.

Associate Professor Pattamawadee Pochanukul, deputy director for strategic research at the TRF, says Sanchai’s research offers guidance in ensuring that blind students have equal opportunity to learn about the visual arts.

He has helped create a standard management plan for art learning in every school, she says.

“The practical component includes painting, colouring using sound levels on a computer, dough sculpture and various activities for all students, mixed instead of separated, to learn together in the classroom,” Dr Pattamawadee says.

“Qualitative research with case studies and adaptation can be conducted with this new learning model. Importantly, the design of the learning media is based on affordable materials available in local stationery stores.

“The production process is easy – these items can be made and reproduced by staff or regular students. The art media can also be shared with other schools to build a sustainable network.”

Sanchai encourages art teachers and students at colleges and universities to create more such materials to share with schools for the blind around the country.

“These learning media help students with all types of visual impairment to learn art at a very high level,” he says. “The results with my sample group were extremely positive and the participants were very satisfied with the activities. They felt acknowledged by their experience with educational equality.

“Most importantly, they became excited and happy to learn art.”

The renowned theatre company has started measuring the pulse of audience members as they are confronted by some of the most harrowing scenes ever written by Shakespeare in the Roman tragedy “Titus Andronicus”.

The play, believed to have been written between 1588 and 1593, is a tale of murderous revenge and savagery.

In one scene, a bloodied Lavinia writhes on stage after rapists cut off her hands and tongue.

Audience members have been known to pass out or vomit at the play’s shocking cruelty during performances.

Becky Loftus, head of audience insight at the RSC, is spearheading the innovative study to measure reactions to the English Renaissance writer’s work.

“It’s notoriously Shakespeare’s bloodiest play… It can be quite polarising because of the amount of violence in it,” Loftus told AFP.

“Are we inured to violence now because of things like (TV show) ‘Game of Thrones’?” she said.

The comparative study is being carried out in the theatre and at a live-streaming of the play in a cinema in Stratford — the town in central England where Shakespeare was born in 1564.

“Some people feel that it’s never as good to be in the cinema, because you don’t get the effect of being in the room and having people act in front of you.

“But then some people say that being in the cinema is like having the best seat in the house and you get the closer view,” Loftus said.

Many participants in the study, including 60-year-old scientist Sharon Faulkner, said they were more engaged in the theatre.

“It appeals to all of your senses. Rather than just visual and hearing, there are the smells. So I think it’s much more real,” she said.

– ‘Basic human instinct’ –

At a light-hearted briefing before the performance, one group of participants talked about how they were feeling and were asked to take some deep breaths in their theatre seats before the opening scene.

Faulkner and fellow volunteer Jamie Megson said theatregoers can be passionate about a performance but are usually unaware of their pulses, as black heart rate monitors were strapped to their wrists.

“You get lost in the action of the play, so it’s hard to say whether it’s been more intense in certain moments than others,” said 27-year-old Megson, an English teacher.

Although the full results from the study are not expected until later this year, an initial analysis showed heart rates rising as audience members become aware a moment of violence may be imminent.

“The biggest reaction is the fight or flight — basic human instinct,” said Pippa Bailey from Ipsos Mori, a research firm that is helping to conduct the study.

“When something happens you either stay and you fight or you run when the adrenaline comes,” she said.

Participants are monitored during the performance and afterwards take part in an exit interview.

“We’re doing voice recordings where we will analyse that to see people’s emotional engagement in what they’re saying” by looking at both the choice of words and the sentiment in their voice, Bailey said.

The RSC has previously relied on questionnaires to try and understand the impact of their productions.

Megson said he was more affected by the interaction between characters, such as when Lavinia’s uncle takes her to her father Titus after the brutal attack, than moments of extreme violence such as severed heads being brought on stage.

“It’s the acting that’s the more shocking element, the emotions that they’re showing that’s the more intense element, more than the gore and shock factor,” he said.

The “Balloon Girl” stencil painting, which appeared on the side of shop in east London in 2002, topped the shortlist of best British artworks, as voted on by 2,000 people.

The artwork was removed and sold in 2014 for around #500,000 (560,000 euros, $651,000).

John Constable’s 1821 pastoral landscape “The Hay Wain” came in second, with Jack Vettriano’s 1992 painting “The Singing Butler” coming in third.

JMW Turner’s 1839 “The Fighting Temeraire,” which depicts a boat being tugged along the Thames, came fourth in the poll, conducted for Samsung TV, while Antony Gormley’s 1998 sculpture “The Angel Of The North”, which looms over a major road to the south of Newcastle, was voted fifth.

Three album covers were in the top 20, including Peter Blake’s cover for The Beatles’ “Sgt Pepper”, Hipgnosis and George Hardie’s work for Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of the Moon” and Jamie Reid’s “Never Mind the Bollocks” Sex Pistols sleeve.

The exhibition displays the works of the three winners of the seventh Asia Plus Art Contest and they, along with 35 other awarded paintings, 28 selected paintings and seven pieces by renowned Thai artists including Itthipol Thangchalok, Preecha Thaothong, Thavorn Ko-udomvit and Somsak Raksuwan, pay tribute to His Majesty the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej.

“This year, our committee, team and artists united to honour and to commemorate HM the late King’s benevolence by expressing our innermost feelings for the King through art. These artists have different skills, different levels of proficiency and use different techniques but they share a love for and memories of the late Monarch,” said Dr Kongkiat Opaswongkarn, chief executive of Asia Plus Group Holdings,

The painting “Kham Phor Sorn” (“The Guidance of His Majest the King”) by Santi Sidaraj, a young artist from Maha Sarakham, won first prize in the prestigious contest, with “Khwam Suk Khong Paendin” (“Happiness in the Country”) by Siritat Tephalokul coming in second and “Un Jai Yam Kham Tai Rom Phra Baramee No 1” (“Peace of Mind at Night under the Graciousness of King Rama IX”) by Prutinan Damnil in third.

“This painting is inspired directly from His Majesty the late King’s lessons in perseverance and his teaching that we should seek knowledge in order to achieve our goals,” said Santi.

“My painting is like a model of a classroom with a blackboard showing the King’s statement on education. I carved the letters in wood and painted in black in order to tell everybody if we don’t study, we won’t have understanding. The message comes in the painting, which needs to be studied at close range if it is to be understood. It’s all a matter of perseverance. Most importantly, we can learn and understand the King’s guidance through my hidden concept.”

“His Majesty the late King was the world’s longest-reigning living monarch with 70 years on the throne. The King is like a big tree providing shade and his perseverance is like the circle of time. I selected to use pencil for my work because it is the instrument the King used for writing and working. Using pencil is going back to basics. If we have our good basics, we will have stability,” said Siritat.

Prutinan, who hails from the South of Thailand used wood carving and hand embroidery in her painting.

“It reflects the way of life of people in the South who live peacefully with their families under the graciousness of King Rama IX. Sewing represents the bond between father, mother and their children while wood carving records memories. Pieces of fabrics taken from my parents’ old clothes reflect the love, concern and warmth from the family, which is an important factor in Thai life,” said Prutinan.

Among 28 paintings selected by the committee is “Armani’s King” by 10-year-old Wachirawat Samart, a student of Kajonkietsuksa School in Phuket, who took home the CEO Special Talent Award.

Though manga have often been seen as mere entertainment in recent years, the medium has attracted interest as a subject of research and criticism. The exhibition will travel back 200 years to the publication of the first volume of the Hokusai Manga and showcase the rich visual expressions created by Katsushika Hokusai and other artists of the era. By introducing some of the similarities and differences between modern Japanese manga, which now enjoys worldwide popularity, and Hokusai’s manga, this exhibition sets out to introduce the charms of this unique field of Japanese culture.

One of the highlights promises to be a group of new works by seven contemporary manga artists based on the theme of Hokusai and his manga.

It will be show at the g23 art gallery, Srinakharinwirot University, Bangkok from August 17 to September 22 then move north to Artbridge Chiang Rai from October 7 to November 2. The final stop is PSU Art Gallery, Arts and Cultural Centre in Hat Yai from November 14 to December 5. Special guests will be on hand for a discussion before the openings in both Bangkok and Chiang Rai.

Find at more at http://www.JFBkk.or.th.

In fact, the young man has been interested in art since he was a kid and furthered his study of painting at the Faculty of Fine Arts of Srinakharinwirot University.

Now Palm is showcasing that talent in the solo show “Siam Rangers” at Subhahsok the arts centre on Sukhumvit Soi 39 from August 10 to September 10. The exhibition talks about his own experiences and what other people say in the social media about the police.

“My record company’s policy is that their artists have a responsibility for chatting with fans on the social networks, which I do so I understand what’s going on in society. The police are often discussed on social media, I guess because everyone has some experience with the boys in brown. It can be good or bad, directly or through the media. So I selected it as the subject for my show.”

Palm’s paintings are full of black humour from real life stories of people. They are also satirical, especially regarding uniforms, which define the role of people in society, such as businessmen or policemen. Palm uses a comic-like drawing technique so as to lighten the criticism, especially in his works exploring the role of the police. Mixed in are many hero characters that pose questions.

The opening reception will be held on August 10 at 6pm. For details, call (02) 258 5580 ext 401 or visit the “sacbangkok” page on Facebook.

Among the highlights of the 37th annual edition of Festival Montpellier Danse earlier this month was the conferral of commandeur des arts et des lettres upon internationally revered choreographer Hans van Manen by France’s Ministry of Culture and Communication representative Brigette Lefevre. Lefevre, who is also director of the Festival de danse de Cannes and former director of the Paris Opera ballet company, made the presentation in the the courtyard of Agora, the festival’s main hub. This made him the first Dutch performing artist to have ever received France’s highest cultural state distinction and the Netherlands’ minister of education, culture and science Jet Bussemaker was also on stage delivering her speech, in French.

I recently got into a heated discussion with a colleague who feels strongly that theatre is a form of entertainment and that as a result – just like the way in which TV programmes will be specially regulated this October in the run-up to the cremation of His Majesty the late King Rama IX –contemporary Thai theatre activities should be stopped for the entire month. Believing that theatre and TV have different target audiences and purposes, I argued that cinemas would not be closed in the same period and that it was unlikely that they would screen only dramas and documentaries, and no comedies.

In war and peace

The Chakrabongse family is hosting the exhibitions “Duty and Passion: The Life and Times of Prince Chakrabongse” and “Siam and World War I” at the Police Museum, Parusakawan Palace until September 30.

“Duty and Passion” features the life and achievements of Prince Chakrabongse,son of King Chulalongkorn and Queen Saovabha, who was born in 1883, and tells his story through royal letters, rare documents, and artefacts. “Siam World War I” documents Siam’s momentous decision to enter the war and send an expeditionary force to France.

The Chakrabongse Collection is on show for the first time as part of the celebrations marking120 years of Thai-Russian relations. The exhibition also marks the centenary of Siam’s war declaration by King Vajiravudh on July 22, 1917.

To coincide with the exhibition, River Books is publishing two books: “Letters from St. Petersburg – A Siamese Prince at the Court of the Last Tsar” and “Siam and World War I”.

Find out more at Facebook.com/River-Books. or call (02) 225 0139.

Thai society today

Young artist Phornphop Sittirak and his colleague, Prasert Yodkaew, examine the weirdness in Thai society today in the show “Two men look out through the same bar: one sees the mud; and one the stars #2” showing at cafe-cum-gallery WTF Gallery in Sukhumvit Soi 51 through August 13.

Phornphop is one of 6 artists selected for “Exposed”, an up-and-coming artist group supported by the Silapkorn University’s Art Centre. The show is curated by Kritsada Duchsadeevanich.

Find out more at http://www.Art- Centre.su.ac.th.

Celebrating design

National artist Nithi Sthapitanonda and Silapathorn awardee Suwan Kongkhunthian lead a group of 25 artists and designers in “Kwam Kreng Jai Nai Design” (“Thoughtfulness in Design”) at the OCAC-operated Ratchdamnoen Contemporary Art Centre on Rajdamnoen Klang Avenue until July 31.

The show reflects on the thoughtfulness of the creative process in relation to culture, nature and environment and features furniture, photographs, sculptures and paintings as well as e delicately handmade jewellery pieces by Aem.i Leelas.

For more information call (02) 442 8827 or visit Facebook/RcacBkk.

In my country garden

Duke Contemporary Art Space in Gaysorn is showcasing the latest works by Thai artist Srijai Kuntawang’s in an exhibition titled “Story From My Garden”.

Srijai shares his impressions and observations gleaned during the course of an ordinary day in his garden in Thailand’s north through woodcuts and acrylic paintings, with the subjects being the many living creatures that dwell in the artist’s garden. These works are almost like a self-portrait, illustrating the simplicity of the artist himself.

The exhibition runs through August 16. Check it out at Facebook/duke.gayson.

It will be on display from November 4 to March 18.

Established by Indonesian philanthropist and leading collector Haryanto Adikoesoemo, the exhibition will display 90 selected artworks by more 70 artists from Asia, Europe and America to introduce Indonesian art history to the public.

For many of the works by Indonesian artists, this presentation marks a debut viewing, and some that have not been exhibited publicly in decades – if ever – including works by Sudjana Kerton, Trubus Soedarsono, Nashar, Robert Rauschenberg, Park Seo-Bo, Mark Rothko, Gerhard Richter, Damien Hirst, and Yukinori Yanagi.

Separated into four thematic sections, the exhibition presents a narrative that spans two centuries and offers a reading of Indonesian art history in dialogue within a larger world art context. Each part explores art from a particular period in relation to relevant social and political movements including Land, Home, People, Independence and After, Struggles around Form and Content and The Global Soup.

Bringing together a diverse range of significant artworks, the exhibition includes pieces from many prominent movements across Indonesia and abroad, including Pop Art from America and Europe, Political Pop and Cynical Realism from China, Superflat and Mono-ha from Japan, and Dansaekhwa from Korea.

Find out more at the Museum Macan page on Facebook.