EVERY MAY, audiences, producers and artists watch the 10 best productions by state and city-run theatre institutions from the German-speaking region and other related programmes at the annual Theatertreffen in the German capital. Six weeks later, some of them meet again at the Impulse Theatre Festival, the centre of which moves from one North Rhine-Westphalian (NRW) city to another every year.

Mainly supported by NRW Office of Culture, this year’s 12-day festival was composed of three parts –a showcase of 10 selected independently produced theatre works, an academy and a city project.

With diverse subject matters and styles, the annual Impulse Theatre Festival offered a glimpse into the independent theatre scenes of Germanspeaking countries. 

/Photo by Robin Junicke

The hub for the first part was Ringlokschuppen Ruhr in Mulheim, which is more than a locomotive depot-cum-performing arts complex and rather a socio-cultural centre in a park within walking distance from the city centre. It organises, as part of its diverse regular programmes, “Silent University” in which migrant experts and scholars in different fields share knowledge and experience in their mother tongues. While the jury of Theatertreffen comprises professional theatre critics, each of whom spend more than half of the year’s evenings in the German-speaking region, that of Impulse also has the host centre’s chemical technical assistant and a theatre-loving school student. These two are in addition to Impulse’s artistic director Haiko Pfost and dramaturg Wilma Renfordt and two other theatre experts who, year-round, scout for exceptional works by artists based in different regions of Austria, Germany and Switzerland, but who are not necessarily citizens of these three countries.

Dorf Theatre /Photo by Robin Junicke

In addition to the 10 showcase works, the opening show “Dorf Theatre” was curated by Berlin-based Swiss director and dramaturg Corsin Gaudenz especially for the festival. Performed in Swiss-German with English surtitles, the play was an example of the village theatre tradition, which is increasingly popular in Switzerland. It was interrupted by speeches from Ringlokschuppen Ruhr’s and Impulse’s artistic directors as well as the city and region’s government officials, in addition to snacks and drinks. Most audiences would usually be bored, if not, annoyed with such time-consuming ceremonies at a stage performance, as by reading the programme booklet we would know what we were going to watch and which sponsors make it possible. That wasn’t the case here though, as politicians became performers and we asked ourselves whether we would have shown up at the opening of any arts events for their speeches, free food and drinks or the work presented.

Dorf Theatre /Photo by Robin Junicke

Two hours later, the mood shifted as the audience moved to the opposite end of the building where another studio was set up like a nightclub. There were no chairs for the audience, many of whom had drinks in their hands, as we watched “Pink Money”, a collaboration of Dutch, German and South African artists. With entertaining and thought-provoking songs, dialogues and videos, the gay performers stepped on and off the three small stages as well as walked through the crowd. Their roof-raising performance reminded us that in such different continents as Africa and Europe, the LGBTQ community shares many similar problems and that capitalism rules in both.

Mothers of Steel /Photo by Vaczi Roland

In the ironically-titled non-verbal performance “Mothers of Steel” staged in a small studio, Romania-born Madalina Dan and Poland-born Agata Siniarka, both now Berlin-based, didn’t speak a word, but cried throughout. At many moments, though, the audience laughed as signs with words showed what changes the former Eastern Europe had been through, and misery its people had faced, not only after the Fall of the Berlin Wall, but throughout its history.

Global Belly /Photo by Robin Junicke

Internationally acclaimed performance collective She She Pop worked with local non-performers on a more local issue – how property currently affects people and our existence. Meanwhile, Kassel-based theatre collective Flinn Works investigated a more universal issue, surrogate motherhood, in the English-speaking play “Global Belly”. The audience was broken up into four groups, went behind the scenes, took on different roles in conversations, both intimate and impactful, with the involved characters in different situations. Thanks to my long hair, and not withstanding my moustache, I was the mother of a young gay man who wanted a child in one scene!

Apollon /Photo by Radovan Dranga

Crossing as well as pushing artistic boundaries, if not also testing some audience members’ patience, was Austrian choreographer Florentina Holzinger’s “Apollon” which keenly blended circus acts with fitness routines and body art with contemporary dance with all-female cast.

In collaboration with Studiobuhnekoln, Germany’s oldest university theatre, and Cheers for Fears, a network of university students from multiple arts disciplines, Impulse organised its first academy and it wasn’t only for students. One morning, the audience was taken on a chartered bus to the restricted area of the container terminal of Cologne harbour, the country’s second largest inland harbour on the Rhine river. Later on a pedestrian bridge, we listened to a radio play by media artists and designers collective Sputnic, which connects art and economy. In the afternoon at the theatre, we attended a workshop titled “Between Village Square and the World Market: Independent Theatre Between Local Relevance and International Co-production” and a panel discussion “Think Local, Sell Global?: Independent Theatre and Economy.”

Impulse Academy /Photo by Robin Junicke

Lastly and in another city Dusseldorf, the festival worked with the Forum Independent Theatre in a site-specific project at the Wilhelm Marx House in the city centre that’s soon to be sold by the owner, the city government, for commercial purposes. Guided tours, installations and performances evoked different memories and various functions of this public space and questioned yet another property development. This is another strong example of how, in a democratic society, one can get public funding to support a project that directly questions, if not criticises, the government.

The efficiency and convenience of railway and road systems in the region and the geographical fact that these three cities – Mulheim, Cologne and Dusseldorf – are not that far apart made it possible to experience the festival’s three parts in one day or, more leisurely, one weekend. The festival connects not only with its cities, but also its audiences and general public; provides a platform for both theatre professionals and students; connects theory to practice, and regional to national and international. These certainly confirm its relevance and guarantee its sustainability. It’s fun to note here that the festival didn’t programme a show when the German national football team was playing in the World Cup on two weekends but instead listed the two matches in the schedule and set up TVs for the audience to enjoy.

Kontainerhafen /Photo by Robin Junicke

Although both the scale of Impulse and the number of international audiences may not be comparable to those of Theatertreffen, it’s much easier to take these works that are filled with experimental spirit and social awareness on tour to overseas festivals. I’m sure I’ll see a few of these works in the programme somewhere in this region soon. Also, the fact that these are independent artists who’re not on a contract with certain institutions makes it possible to initiate collaboration with them.

The writer’s trip was supported by North Rhine-Westphalian (NRW) Office of Culture’s International Visitors Programme. Special thanks to Anna-Lisa Langhoff, Fabian May and the Goethe Institut Thailand for all kind assistance.

SEE YOU IN DUSSELDORF

Next June, the hub of Impulse Theatre Festival will move to Dusseldorf.

For more information, visit http://www.ImpulseFestival.de (in German and English)

Bye bye billionaires – it’s now museums that acquire most artworks put up for auction, according to a firm, which follows the fine art market.

Sales at auction of works of fine art – paintings, sculptures, drawings, photographs, engravings and installations – jumped by 18 per cent in the first half of the year compared to the same period in 2017 to US$8.45 billion (7.3 billion euros), according to ArtPrice.

The company’s founder Thierry Ehrmann points out that “around three-quarters of purchases above $1 million are now by museums”. That trend is being supported by the opening of new museums.

“More new museums have been opened since 2000 than all of the 19th and 20th centuries,” Ehrmann notes. “And 700 are being founded each year in China.”

“Young Girl With Basket of Flowers” by Pablo Picasso was sold at Christie’s in May 2018 for $115 million (Bt3.82 billion), the seventh most expensive artwork sold at auction. /AFP

The new openings helped China remain in second place in terms of auction revenues at $2 billion, accounting for just under a quarter of the market, according to ArtPrice’s twice-yearly market report.

The USA led in auction sales in the first half of the year with $3.3 billion, or 40 per cent of the market. Britain ranked third with $1.9 billion in sales and a market share of 22 per cent.

But if museums are now the big buyers, the market was supported this year by the sale of the art collection of billionaire David Rockefeller and his wife Peggy.

Although there was no blockbuster sale like that of Leonardo da Vinci’s “Salvator Mundi” last November for $450 million (Bt15 billion) the Rockefeller collection was the most valuable private collection ever sold and included works by Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse and Claude Monet.

“The sale of May 8 alone totalled $646 million,” noted ArtPrice in its report, with a Picasso “Blue Period” painting, “Fillette a la corbeille fleurie”, fetching $115 million by itself.

ArtPrice pointed to a particular strength of the US market: the concentration of sales of the most expensive artworks that fetch more than $5 million at auction.

“New York is home to the largest high-end art market in the world: the top six first-half results were hammered in Manhattan,” said the report.

Museums are now acquiring most of the auctioned works, according to Artprice’s latest semiannual report. The “Salvator Mundi”, a portrait of Jesus Christ painted in 1500, a very rare painting attributed to Leonardo da Vinci, was bought for a record $450 million last year. /AFP

Of the 15 works that have fetched more than $100 million at auction, all but one were sold in New York.

London’s place in the global art market appears to be holding up against Britain’s impending exit from the European Union next year.

“The English capital continues to compete with New York on the high-end market, especially for major European signatures,” said ArtPrice, noting London remains the top marketplace for works by Gerhard Richter, the “most successful living artist on the global art market”.

The city also remains a top venue for auctions of works by Picasso, which alone accounted for 17 per cent of fine art turnover in Britain in the first half of the year.

In China, auction sales slid by seven per cent. The first half of the year is not the best season in China, with the most prestigious sales taking place in Beijing in December.

The Chinese market could also become more attractive to sellers as a reorganisation appears to be helping bring down the rate of unsold works, which are still more than half of those put up at auction.

Works from the 20th century dominate the auction market, accounting for four-fifths of items to go under the hammer.

Artprice found a particular interest for works produced between 1900 and 1940, a period which includes the last impressionist works and the dawn of modern art.

Eight of the 10 most expensive works sold in the first of this year were produced during that period, including Russian abstract painter Kazimir Malevich’s “Suprematist Composition”, which sold in New York in May for $85.8 million, over $25 million more than when it was last sold in 2010.

But contemporary art is still popular with buyers, with Andy Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat among the top-selling artists.

The ministry today marked Asean Day by launching a book and photography exhibition “Vivid Asean” at the Asean Central Centre in Rajdamnoen Klang Avenue.

“The book features the diversity of Asean cultures, their similarities and differences,” Culture Minister Vira Rojpojchanara told The Nation, adding that the English version would be launched next year.

“By learning about the history and culture of our neighbouring countries, we will better understand [each other] and live together harmoniously.”

He said Thailand would be seeking the cultural cooperation of Asean members at their meeting in Indonesia in October.

“Next year, Thailand will host a variety of cultural Asean activities with the bigger ones including the Ramayana Festival, Asean films and food festivals,” Vira said.

The 200-page book features 13 chapters on topics ranging from food, architecture, costumes, lifestyle, cultural performances and religions. It concludes by showing how Thailand is a multicultural nation.

National artist and photographer Teerapap Lohitkul, the book’s editor-in-chief, teamed up with SeaWrite Awardee Jeeranan Pitpreecha, photographer Sayan Chuenudomsavad and author Hor Supawut Jantasaro to put together the book, which is illustrated with more than 300 beautiful images of all things Asean. The book is available at the Asean Central Centre and the show runs until August 26.

 Open air rock paintings in the world’s driest desert pay testament to the importance of the llama to millennia-old cultures that traversed the inhospitable terrain.

Conservationists working in Chile’s Atacama Desert want the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) to recognise the Taira Valley drawings as a heritage site so they can develop sustainable tourism in the region.

Taira is “a celebration of life,” says archeologist Jose Bereguer, describing the site as “the most complex in South America” because of its astronomical importance as well as the significance to local shepherds.

The rock art was a “shepherd’s rite” needed to ask the “deities that governed the skies and the earth” to increase their llama flocks.

First rediscovered by Swedish archeologist Stig Ryden in 1944, the Taira rock art is between 2,400 and 2,800 years old.

It is made up of a gallery of 16 paintings more than 3,000 metres above sea level on the banks of the Loa River that traverses the desert.

The jewels in the crown are the Alero Taira drawings some 30 meters from the Loa in a natural shelter, in which the importance of the llama becomes abundantly clear.

Not just the principal source of wealth for desert dwellers over thousands of years, the llama has been used in ritual ceremonies throughout the Andes for just as long, such as in the “Wilancha”, or sacrifice to “Pacha Mama”, or Mother Earth.

“No one can understand the things done 18,000 years ago because the cultures that did them have disappeared,” says Berenguer, curator at Santiago’s Museum of Pre-Columbian Art.

“Here, it’s possible to delve into the meaning because we have ethnography and because there are still people living in practically the same way as in the past.”

According to Rumualda Galleguillos, one of around 15 indigenous people still raising llamas in the Atacama Desert like their ancestors, these pictures are a “testament” to forefathers who could neither read nor write.

Around 90 per cent of the engravings, painted mainly in red but also ochre yellow and white, depict llamas of various sizes, some pregnant, others suckling their young.

But the remaining 10 per cent depict the desert’s diversity, such as foxes, snakes, ostriches, partridges and dogs.

The few human figures that appear are tiny, as if those painting them “wanted to go unnoticed in front of the greatness of animals that were so important to their economy,” Berenguer says. What the paintings also demonstrate is that 2,500 years ago, people were already studying the stars in an area that has more recently become the astronomy capital of the world with some of the most powerful telescopes ever built.

A book written in conjunction with the Atacama observatory called “The Universe of our Grandparents”, claims that the ancient inhabitants of this area studied the stars to help learn how to domesticate the inhospitable desert and survive its dangers.

In this vision, the universe is made up of the skies and Earth as one whole, with the skies forming the horizon of life. What is seen in the skies is a reflection of what there is on Earth.

Unlike the Greeks, though, ancient Atacama astrologists didn’t see Orion, Gemini or Cancer.

They saw llamas, their eyes, corrals, a loaded slingshot and a shepherd standing with his legs spread wide and arms in the air, worrying about foxes, says Silvia Lisoni, a professor of history and amateur astronomer.

Taira is located on an axis that aligns the sacred Sirawe “sandy eye” quicksand from where locals would pray for rain, the San Pedro volcano, the Colorado hill, and the Cuestecilla pampas, another sacred spot.

Volcanoes, like springs, were considered deities by the Atacama natives, while llamas were thought to have been born of springs.

The Alero Taira is positioned so that it is completely illuminated by the sun on both the winter and summer solstices.

“There’s evidence that this site was built here for specific reasons,” Berenguer explains.

Taira is not the oldest example of rock art in this part of Chile, though. To the north in the copper mining Antofagasta region lies Kalina, around 1,000-1,200 years older than Taira, and Milla.

This style of art has been found also in the Puna de Atacama plateau in neighboring Argentina, but Taira “has few equals in terms of beauty and complexity,” Berenguer notes.

One day, he hopes that Taira will be afforded Unesco World Heritage Site status like the rock art in the Cave of Altamira in Spain or France’s Lascaux caves.

 On Thursday, July 26, Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana graciously presided over the opening ceremony of the Silpathorn Awards 2018 exhibition at the Ratchadamnoen Contemporary Art Centre. The Princess herself is among the seven recipients of the national award, which is given out annually by the Culture Ministry’s Office of Contemporary Art and Culture – the youngest awardee and the first member of the Royal Family. Her performing arts colleague is B-Floor Theatre’s Teerawat “Ka-ge” Mulvilai.

“This national award recognises mid-career artists who have been continuously working in different disciplines of contemporary arts for a considerable number of years,” Ka-ge tells The Nation.

“With the two keywords being ‘contemporary’ and ‘continuously’, I think my works have hit the right buttons and I know my name had been on the [Silpathorn Award nominees’] list for many years. After a while, I stopped wondering whether I would be recognised, and so this year, it’s a delightful surprise.”

He jokes, as critically as many of his works do, “Maybe now that they’ve taken me off the list, they can look for a younger generation of artists.”

“Fundamental”

Theatre audiences, critics and fellow artists, though, think that this recognition is long overdue for Ka-ge. Even before his B-Floor days, just after he graduated from Chiang Mai University’s Faculty of Fine Arts, we took notice of his performance in Crescent Moon Theatre’s works. In the noughties, I picked his solo work “GODa Gardener” as one of the decade’s most memorable. Fast-forwarding to more recently, in 2014 and 2015, his trilogy of solo works “Satapana: Red Tank”, “Satapana: Iceberg” and “Iceberg: The Invisible” at three different venues effectively conveyed his political messages. The same can be said for his collaboration with South Korea’s Theatre Mommgol, which resulted in three productions of “Something Missing” from 2016 to last year. His “Fundamental”, in which he worked with young members of B-Floor last year, was the biggest winner of IATC Thailand Dance and Theatre Awards. His performance afterwards, in Oriza Hirata’s “Bangkok Notes” proves that he can also perform in a spoken drama. In fact, in the short six-year history of IATC Thailand Dance and Theatre Awards, B-Floor as a company has been the most lauded, as has Ka-ge as an individual artist, for his performance, direction and even art direction.

“Something Missing -Rite of Passage”

His B-Floor Theatre’s co-founder and co-artistic director Jarunun Phantachat was given the same award four years ago and Ka-ge notes: “This is the first time in the performing arts here in Thailand and I’m sure there will be third and the fourth members of B-Floor who will become Silpathorn artists. It’s evident that while all members of B-Floor work in the genre of physical theatre, our works differ and all members have staged their own works unlike many other companies who are centred around single director or playwright.”

However, now in its 19th year, B-Floor Theatre is faced with a major problem. The support from the Pridi Banomyong Institute ended last year and they now don’t have their own studio in which to rehearse and to perform. Ka-ge says, “This has greatly affected us. As you’ll remember, we used to be able to stage three or four full-scale productions a year, but this year we simply cannot.”

As evidence to support his remark: so far this year, the audience has only got to watch “Sawan Arcade”, postponed from last November, at Democrazy Theatre Studio and the work-in-progress showing of “Trance” at the Goethe Institut auditorium.

“Now that B-Floor has two Silpathorn artists, hopefully we can get more support from OCAC in not only creating our works but also touring them, both domestically and internationally. In fact, with the current problem, the production of our latest work ‘Trance’ is lighter and easier to tour.”

B-Floor is celebrating its 20th anniversary next year, and Ka-ge reveals part of B-Floor’s plan, saying, “In our early years, our works were influenced by many dance and theatre styles and techniques, such as butoh, laban and viewpoints. We’ve developed them into our own styles and techniques and I think it’s worth documenting these in book form.”

Later this month, Ka-ge can be seen onstage at Sodsai Pantoomkomol Centre for Dramatic Arts in the world premiere of internationally acclaimed Japanese director and playwright Toshiki Okada’s “Pratthana – A Portrait of Possession”, in Thai with English and Japanese surtitles. This adaptation of another Silpathorn Award 2018 recipient, Uthis Haemamool’s “Rang Khong Pratthana” will also be staged at Centre Georges Pompidou, as part of Festival d’automne a Paris this October.

Ka-ge is working on the revival of his 2015 work “Mano Land”, which will open the Bangkok Theatre Festival this November and then tour to Tokyo. He plans to stage the full production of “Trance” next May, and is seeking further support for it.

An anecdote: Ka-ge shared with me that Princess Sirivannavari, having visited his part of the exhibition, asked if she could join his physical theatre workshop.

“I said ‘Yes!’”

AN EXHIBITION AND MORE

•   “Silpathorn Awards 2018” exhibition is at Ratchadamnoen Contemporary Art Centre (RCAC), just next to Democracy Monument on Ratchadamnoen Klang Avenue.
•  This Saturday, 2018 Silpathorn artist in film Soros Sukhum will speak at 1pm; on August 18, architect Twitee Vajrabhaya; on September 1, violinist and conductor Nora-Ath Chanklum; and finally visual artist Ark Fongsamut on September 8. The talks are in Thai and there’s no admission charge. For more details, http://www.Rcac84.com and http://www.Ocac.go.th
•  To keep track of Ka-ge and B-Floor, check out Facebook.com/BFloor.Theatre.Group
•  For more on “Pratthana – A Portrait of Possession”, visit http://www.Pratthana.net

“Now all Thai artefacts have been returned to the Kingdom and are in safe-keeping at the Foreign Ministry in Bangkok,” said Vira.

Fine Arts Department director Anan Chuchote said that he and his art experts would return the works next week to the collection of the National Museum in Bangkok.

“We plan to display the returned treasures at the National Museum, and at a later date at the Baan Chiang Museum in Udon Thani,” Anan said.

Vira added that Thailand could potentially see two additional smuggled stone lintels brought home from a US museum.

“The US Department of Homeland Security is investigating the case of two prominent 11th-century stone lintels from Prasat Nong Hong in Buri Ram province and Prasat Khao Lon in Sa Kaew province, which are currently in the permanent collections of the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco,” Vira said. The Culture Ministry’s ad hoc committee for retrieving smuggled treasures from abroad is now working to prove that the works were smuggled from Thailand, and would then call on the Americans to return them to their homeland, he said.

Meanwhile the committee is also following up on proving that a 13th-century Buddha sculpture was smuggled from Thailand and now resides in London University’s prominent School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS).

“We hope to identify its origin within a month,” Anan predicted.

Vira said the Cabinet had just approved budget funding for this special task – the process of repatriation of smuggled ancient Thai artefacts from overseas.

Visitors will be able to admire and snap up pottery, oil paintings, applied paintings and Thai lacquer works. The exhibition titled “Stylistic Diversity in Painting, Bangsai Royal Arts and Crafts Centre” runs through August 12, and part of the proceeds will be contributed to the fund initiated by Her Majesty Queen Sirikit in support of the centre.

“The Bangsai Centre has always appreciated the Queen Mother’s vision for the future of Thai arts and crafts. Bangsai has become a learning centre that focuses on equipping rural farmers with vocational skills that can earn them extra income in their free time. It also focuses on preserving and passing down all branches of traditional arts,” explained General Tiansak Palayanont, the centre’s executive vice president.

“Painting is a form of fine art with a variety of expression techniques. We are presenting here pottery artworks, oil painting, applied paintings and lacquer works that have traditional Thai painting woven into them. This exhibition aims to disseminate knowledge while also showcasing the skills of our teachers and students, all of whom are masters of Thai arts. The collection of showpieces on display here has graced other national-level art shows. So, this event will be a great chance for Thai and foreign visitors alike to appreciate them and for the artworks themselves to reach a wider audience.”

Kritsaka Seeputtha, an artisan of Thai lacquer works, reflected: “Had I not been given the opportunity to be apprenticed to Thai arts and crafts here, my life would not come this far. I actually graduated with a diploma as an auto mechanic, but I have always been interested in Thai lacquer works. The centre has given me both opportunities and knowledge. Nowadays, there is only a handful of people who can create ancient Ayutthaya-era lacquer works. Having trained here, we can apply our knowledge and skills to the preservation of various Thai arts and crafts. It is to Her Majesty’s credit that the centre was established and our traditional arts and artisans are valued. I have been given many life-changing opportunities. I went from being unemployed to being able to make a living”.

The highlights of the exhibition include an oil painting of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit by Saman Klungjaturut, a mixed-media sculpture titled “Barn” priced at Bt50,000, a porcelain set “the Land of Happiness” costing Bt30,000, and a powder-coated and gilded Thai lacquer work portraying Wat Suthat Thepphawararam, which has a Bt35,000 price tag. The exhibition also features the depth-enhanced “Andaman Sea Round Dishes” inspired by the abundance of marine life priced at Bt40,000, and “Buddha Square Tiles” with traditional Thai patterns painted on the tiles on sale for Bt26,000.

Demonstrations of sundry painting techniques by teachers and students of oil painting, applied painting, pottery, and Thai lacquer works will also be available.

 Lee Bul – South Korea’s contemporary sculpture and installation artist who appeared on the art scene in the late 1980s – is giving “BAB Talk #13” at Open House, on the sixth floor of Central Embassy, tomorrow (August 1) from 2-4pm.

Lee Bul is one of two Korean artists who will be participating in the first Bangkok Art Biennale 2018, which will be held from October 19 to February 3. She is among the complete list of 75 artists from 33 countries who will showcase in this year’s inaugural edition and will explore the theme, “Beyond Bliss”.

Bangkok Art Biennale 2018 will mark Bangkok as one of the world’s cities of art and culture, enhancing the experience of cultural tourism in Thailand for the world to witness. BAB 2018 represents an aspiration for Bangkok to be a major venue in the world of international contemporary art. The international contemporary art exhibition will take place across various well-known sites in the city.

Lee Bul’s multifaceted artistic practice spans more than 20 years, encompassing drawing, performance, sculpture, installation and video. She is recognised for her technically precise, futuristic sculptures and architecturally influenced, large-scale, immersive installations. Her works deal with visionary narratives, and themes such as the legacy of modernism, the potential of technology, gender and sexuality, the limits of the human body and its interface with the mechanistic, the role of popular culture in the formation of identity, and humankind’s obsession with perfection.

In recent years, she has engaged more deeply with the exploration of social structures and ideas surrounding our pursuit of utopia through increasingly large-scale installations that incorporate significant structural elements, often referencing science fiction and the innovations of modernity.

BILLED AS Bangkok’s first “smart” mixed-use development, Samyan Mitrtown on Rama IV Road is under construction and surrounded by tall walls to keep passers-by safe. Now the hoardings are also entertaining them.

Developer Golden Land Property has invited renowned photographers Tada Varich, Kachain Wongleamthong, Sirima Chaipreechawit and Suphattra Monsaweang (aka Manee Mejai) to turn the usually dull construction barricade into a street-art gallery.

Large prints of their images are affixed to the boards.

With “Urban Life Library” as the guiding concept, the Samyan Mitrtown Artist Collaboration 3 follows up on two earlier endeavours that proved successful.

And how can they not be successful? You get to look at something beautiful, stirring, even inspiring, instead of a blank wall.

Sarit Triroj of Golden Land points out that Samyan district has long been a commercial district and the aim in bringing in artists is to match “the best of the old and the new”.

“The photographers portray Samyan based on their memories and their own personal stories. Their work adorns the last phase, well before the project officially opens in October 2019.”

Nontawat Charoenchasri, design director at Ductstore the Design Guru, recruits artists for the project.

“The first year we presented graffiti by six artists and the second year the work of four illustrators. This year we’ve opted for photographers,” he says.

The woman in Tada Varich’s portraits represents a visitor to the Samyan area.

In “Reflection of Samyan”, Tada, who specialises in fashion shoots, presents a set of portraits of a woman that are meant to convey the emotions of people living in Samyan and of visitors to the area.

“I wanted to get a street angle and offer a reflection of the neighbourhood, using a woman to represent someone just visiting,” he says. “My photographs portray Samyan as a community, and you see actual reflections – like in a shop window and in a pool of water on the ground. Each picture has a different emotion because I believe this community is home to various emotions as well.”

Kachain Wongleamthong relives old favourite restaurants in his abstracts.

Kachain, another fashion photographer, has a series of abstract pictures of popular restaurants in the district, focusing on shiny elements that distort the reality, presenting fresh perspectives.

“I’ve always been around Samyan, so I know it’s a food hub – home to several legendary restaurants,” he says.

“You can eat from morning to night and the price is affordable for those living or working in the area, such as university students, office workers and taxi drivers. You can cut through the little alleys to get around the area. Samyan is one of the best food havens in town and it’s always a lively place.”

Sirima Chaipreechawit goes exploring in the construction site and imagines what’s to come.

Sirima, a street photographer, evokes the joy of learning back in the days when everyone felt like an explorer and was “looking wide”. She in turn explores the Samyan Mitrtown construction site itself and discovers a world of the imagination, offering dream images of what it will look like once completed and what fun might happen within its creative spaces.

“To me, Samyan is a place of dreams for the old and young,” she says. “It’s surrounded by design studios and art spaces. The area truly supports creativity and the people who want to see their ideas flourish.”

Suphattra Monsaweang remembers friends who made ordinary days extraordinary.

Portraitist Suphattra goes in pursuit of “long-lost friends”, depicting one such friend who can be counted on to produce smiles and laughter and make an ordinary day extraordinary, a day worth recording in photos.

“All my life I’ve been learning about the many aspects of friendship,” she says. “Every time I think about my friends in the past, I can still remember the beautiful moments. I remember their smiles and laughter, their tears and other sincere emotions. A real friend can always lift you up, even when you’ve hit rock bottom.”

SURPRISE is rarely an emotion associated with a production of such a popular opera as Giacomo Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly”, a staple of the operatic repertoire around the world. But many delightful surprises were in store last week for those who attended Opera Siam’s Butterfly at the Thailand Cultural Center.

The first of those was Siam Sinfonietta’s debut in undertaking an opera. Under Maestro Somtow Sucharitkul’s tutelage, the young musicians displayed unexpected musical prowess that was both ravishing and alluring. The texture and phrasing sounded fresh and new, whether in the restrained delicate sounds or the climactic crescendo. The music, with a slow-burning intensity, flowed flawlessly throughout the evening.

This is an amazing accomplishment for a youth orchestra whose first concert together was only less than a year ago. The contribution of Maestro Somtow to classical music education in Thailand cannot be overstated, Young musicians audition to be part of Siam Sinfonietta every single year, and once they reach their mid-twenties, they have to leave. Each year sees a gaggle of new members, and each year, the orchestra’s composition is unique.

Singaporean diva Nancy Yuen was exquisite in her signature role as the ill-fated heroine Cio-Cio-San. Her angelic tone and charming mannerisms allowed her to communicate raw emotions with ease, from the initial girlish naivete to the emotional tsunami that was to come. Her powerful spinto quality brought an electric vibrancy to the spine-tingling “One Fine Day” (“Un bel di vedremo”), one of opera’s most beautiful arias.

Israel Lozano’s performance as the American naval officer Pinkerton was also sterling. He made a convincing foil, wonderfully portraying the callous libertine, first regarding the affair as a casual fling, then becoming completely enchanted, and finally evading all responsibility. He does manage however to elicit some sympathy in the gentle love duet with Butterfly, “Sweetheart, with eyes…” (“Bimba dagli occhi”), displaying along with Yuen, sonorous, contemplative vocal control and synergy. Covent Garden star Phillip Joll as the American consul Sharpless), Italian mezzo-soprano Emanuela Barazia as Butterfly’s maid, Suzuki), Australian bass Damian Whiteley as Butterfly’s uncle, the bonze), and Thailand’s Chaiporn Phuangmalee as the devious marriage broker cum trafficker, Goro were all superb in their roles.

But it was the adorable James Triyanon as Butterfly’s son, Dolore or Trouble, at barely three years old, who stole every scene he was in.

The set was a triumph of simplicity, with Japanese shoji screens and sliding doors and a few cherry trees, and drew the audience y into the opera’s unsettling world, making this production extremely intimate and profoundly moving.

Great operas often start discussions and debate, encouraging interpretations of what the composer intended. Some critics have been harsh in saying that this opera, about a Caucasian man sexually exploiting a gullible Asian woman, is an iconic example of Orientalism by a composer who never set foot in Japan. However, careful reading of the libretto suggests that it was Puccini’s intention to draw attention to these unpalatable realities.

In fact, what is clear in this opera is the exploitation of women by men in general, whether Western or Oriental. Even the despicable practice of selling young girls was more or less accepted in male-dominated Japan, as well as the loose marriage contract.

The seduction and abandonment of young women by male predators was a well-known plot line in late 18th century literature. In America, Pinkerton would have been exposed to the ideological forces of moral philosophy, evangelism, and sentimental literature, that conspired to characterise womanhood as pure and chaste, while removing any requirement of virtue from the male and the male-dominated public sphere. To create a structural cultural dichotomy with males and females as polar opposites, tales of predation were crucial to allow the non-virtuous man to be neither culpable nor accountable for his actions. This gender dichotomy made it possible for predatory behaviour to exist and persist. And women’s only recourse would be to protect themselves.

And that is exactly what Butterfly attempted to do. She firmly believed that she had done everything possible to earn Pinkerton’s love and devotion, turning down the wealthy suitor Yamadori, embracing American culture by wearing Western clothes, converting to Christianity, hoping that the more Americanised she became, the chances of American law applying to her and her marriage would be greater.

Puccini does not paint a shy, diminutive Butterfly. She is strong-willed and full of conviction. He tries to move away from the Western notion that madness and suicide are natural consequences of seduction, abandonment and betrayal, and focuses instead on the Japanese sense of honour.

A streak of pride is ever present under Butterfly’s vulnerability, and her son’s wellbeing is her overriding concern. There is no lamenting or self-pity in the actual words that are sung. Opera Siam conveyed these nuances perfectly.