“CHILDREN ARE BORN to make this world beautiful, similar to the way the flowers bloom on this earth,” says Mae Chee Sansanee Sthirasuta, a Buddhist nun and founding director of the Sathira Dhammasathan Centre in Bangkok.

Reaping the fruits of mindfulness, photographer Somkid Chaijitvanich has taken dozens of remarkable shots of young girls initiated into the sisterhood. She’s presenting them and other photographers’ stirring images in the exhibition “Satri Khue Sati” (“Woman is Mindfulness”) at the Bangkok Art and Cultural Centre through Sunday. There are 86 pictures in all to see.

The first part of the show features images taken by nuns at the centre. Ranging in age from six to 70, they had a month’s training with Somkid before heading off on their own to get pictures.

Somkid’s own photos comprise the second part, depicting the young nuns. And the third part has images taken by such established photographers as National Artist Teeraparb Lohitkun, Duangdao Suwanrangsri and Punsiri Siriwetchapun.

Mae Chee Sansanee founded the centre in the belief that everyone should adhere to the dharma in daily life. “We stay in this world, but we live by the dharma,” the senior nun says. “I like to be open with others and express my gratitude to my mentors.

“I’m also grateful to the young nuns who give me in turn the opportunity to pay my respect like this and who confirm that I have heirs to the dharma teaching. They are like the pilings on which a building is raised and it’s they who will teach the next generation.

“Children have been my friends throughout my life’s journey,” Mae Chee says. “When they take pictures, it is with a virtue that’s above right or wrong and without prejudice. Taking pictures unveils the truth. Learning never ends. It liberates us from suffering.”

Somkid has absorbed the dharma lessons into her heart, saying that if today were to be her last day in this life, she would have no regrets.

“Helping others makes me really happy. Sathira Dhammasathan is where I’ve grown up spiritually, and now I’ve shown my gratitude in teaching the young nuns about photography. I’ve actually learned a lot from them in return – they’ve become my teachers.

“When we look at the pictures we see only part of the truth, but it goes much deeper, and seeing what’s inside the pictures brings much more happiness than just the beauty evident on the outside. I had some tough experiences in the past few years, but they were really enjoyable.”

The exhibition includes a broad array of photography techniques, emotions, lighting and shadows, as well as beautiful scenery and architecture. Taking it all in evokes a sense of inner peace.

Teeraparb says both writing and photography involve deciding “how you’ll tell the truth appropriately or how you’ll describe beauty as it’s reflected in your feelings”.

Mindfulness – being conscious of our every action – ensures that every photo will have meaning, he says. “Even I sometimes feel I haven’t got the picture that truly reflects the beauty I see.”

Mae Chee says “clicking the shutter with the hand” produces a picture, but “by clicking the shutter with a pure heart, we get something special. It’s a picture of the truth.”

 

BEAUTIFUL PHOTOS of cultural destinations in Indonesia, such as the ancient Prambanan and Borobudur temples, as well as the sights of Toraja and Bali, are among the highlights of the “Wonderful Indonesia” photo exhibition, which opened on Monday at Siam Paragon.

The exhibition has 100 photos by nine Indonesian photographers along with Bangkok-based Hong Kong businessman and photographer Chi Wai David Lau, who mounted the show.

A travelling show, the Bangkok exhibition follows stops around Indonesia since 2014. The photos were also shown in February in Istanbul, where Art Photography of Indonesia was supported by the Tourism Ministry of Indonesia.

Lau, who was ranked seventh in the world in 1981 in the colour-print section of the Photographic Society of America, took around 70 photos of scenes around Indonesia.

For the show, he selected 64 of his photos in addition to 36 more images by members of Art Photography of Indonesia. The purpose of the show is promote the tourism in Indonesia and further boost the cultural ties between Thailand and itsAsean Economic Community neighbour.

Scenes covering the beauty and uniqueness of Indonesia include mountains, lakes, sunrises, sunsets and volcanoes. There are also beauty queens, oxen racing, tribal rites and riders galloping their horses along the beach. Locations covered the breadth of the archipelago nation and include Banyuwangi, Mount Bromo, Probolinggo, West Sumatra, Bali, Lombok, Komodo, Sumba, Toraja, Lampung, Central Java, West Java and Papua.

In addition to Lau, the photographers are Agatha Anne Bunanta, Edwin Djuanda, Vincent Kohar, Edwind Benjamin, Rudy Sunandar, Elyana Dasuki, Qwadru Putro Wicaksono, John Hantoro and Arya Dwita Dedok.

They are part of Art Photography of Indonesia, a non-profit organisation with the slogan “Friendship through Photography. The group’s mission is “to build awareness and appreciation of the community to care and be proactive to the art of photography”.

VISUAL IMPACT

– “Wonderful Indonesia” runs until Sunday in the Lifestyle Hall on the second floor of Siam Paragon in Bangkok.

– For more details, check ArtPhotoIndo.com.

His depiction of Judith slitting Holofernes’s throat, blood gushing from the wound, has enthralled art lovers for centuries: now Caravaggio’s portrayal of seduction and betrayal can be “relived” at a high-tech exhibition in Rome.

Fifty-seven paintings by the 16th-century artist are magnified and projected onto walls inside the Palazzo delle Esposizioni, where 3D images explore their composition and the dramatic use of chiaroscuro, the contrast between light and dark.

From the “Martyrdom of St Matthew” to the depiction of the youthful wine god “Bacchus”, the exhibition is intended as a “full sensory experience”, according to the Fake Factory, the video design company behind the project.

Visitors to the show can watch each painting broken down into the smallest detail, the performance accompanied by a especially composed soundtrack and smells from Florence’s historic Santa Maria Novella perfumery.

Studies of works like “Judith Beheading Holofernes” have revealed Caravaggio’s painstaking adjustments – in this case slightly moving the partly-severed head from the body – and the exhibition uses outline sketches to explore form.

“It’s a theatrical staging of his work”, says the installation’s designer and the founder of the Florentine outfit Stefano Fomasi, adding that the goal was to involve people “in a sort of collective rite by immersion in the art”.

The hope is tourists will feel as if they are present at the scenes depicted in the paintings, “becoming protagonists of the works”, and notice elements they would not have spotted by visiting a traditional exhibition.

Thanks to 33 high-definition projectors, the snakes in the artist’s “Medusa” appear to slither across the floor as the painting moves, the mythological monster’s horrified gaze amplified, her blood splattered widely across the walls.

As well as playing on the main themes in the Milan-born painter’s works – light, theatricality, naturalism and violence – the exhibition, which runs through July 3, is “an almost-scientific experience”, says Claudio Strinati, art historian and consultant on the project.

Fomasi said the huge projections “are to help people discover Caravaggio, understand how he used characters, the way he used light, the way he painted.”

“You get to see details that you could not see with the naked eye, thanks to this technology.”

The show revels in rebellious Caravaggio – famous for having angered patrons with “vulgar” depictions of religious scenes, from painting saints with dirty legs to using prostitutes as muses – but celebrates his grace as well.

The aim had been to transform the neoclassical exhibition space in the Italian capital’s historic centre into a enormous, stark white canvas which would represent the light to the artist’s darkness, Fomasi says.

“We wanted to replicate the elegance that Caravaggio has, the elegance of his painting, in the elegance of the space, which is very white, very bright,” he says.

After Rome, the “Caravaggio Experience” will travel to Naples, before heading to foreign exhibition halls next year.

 

THE REGION’S cinematic past, present and possible futures unfold in a Bangkok photographic exhibition, “Future’s Ruins”, which looks at the moribund former standalone cinemas that used to be common in Bangkok neighbourhoods and in cities across the Kingdom.

The couple dozen or so photos are the work of Philip Jablon, an American who is an affiliate researcher at Chiang Mai University. Since 2009, he’s been working in Thailand and Southeast Asia to raise awareness about the importance of old cinemas and how keeping them open helps communities.

Running through May at the H Project Space in Bangkok’s Sathorn neighbourhood, his “Future’s Ruins” exhibition comes amid much concern for the future of Bangkok’s only active standalone cinema, the Scala in Siam Square.

On Facebook recently, Jablon posted a video he made in his hometown of Philadelphia, while standing in front of what was left of the Boyd, a historic movie palace that was the last of its kind in the City of Brotherly Love’s downtown.

In fluent Thai, Jablon says he hopes the Scala doesn’t meet a similar fate as the Boyd.

“Certain people want to destroy it,” Jablon says. “That would be a mistake.”

Run by the Apex group, which also operates the neighbouring Lido multiplex, the Scala is surrounded by uncertainty as Siam Square owner Chulalongkorn University is keen on tearing down the theatres in order to build more shopping malls.

But those plans appear to be on hold, at least temporarily, with leases on the Scala and Lido reportedly extended until at least 2018. And, in another recent Facebook post, Jablon shares news that Apex will invest in a new screen for the Scala, raising more hopes that the Art Deco theatre, its neon marquee, grand lobby and sparkling five-tier chandelier might still have few good years left.

Phuangthong Siriwan, general manager of Apex, remains hopeful. “We’ve kept the Scala going for so long out of passion,” she says. “We went to the Department of Fine Arts to have the building registered as architecturally significant.

“Things have changed, though. We are at the centre of Bangkok. It’s up to the university. They have to do what works.”

Aside from the Scala, there are moves afoot to preserve and restore other Bangkok cinemas, among them the Nang Loeng, a barn-like teakwood edifice in the historic Rattanakosin enclave. Officials at the Thai Film Archive have been keeping close eyes on the theatre, which is formally known as the Sala Chaloem Thani and is owned by the Crown Property Bureau. Hopes are to reopen the Nang Loeng in time for its 100th birthday, sometime around 2018.

Sompong Chotivan, former manager of the Nang Loeng, is anxious for the reopening.

“When the Sala Chalerm Thani is done this will be a very strong community,” he said. “It will benefit the community and everybody who comes to the Nang Loeng neighbourhood”

And yet another faded old theatre, the Prince, in Bangkok’s newly burgeoning riverside Creative District, is due for some much-needed sprucing.

Art curator Atty Tanitivit, director of the Atty Gallery and a member of the Creative District, says the Prince is worth saving.

“Bang Rak Market has been known for its charm due to its diversified food options and juxtaposition of the old and the new,” Atty continues. “The revival of the Prince Theatre would add yet another layer to the area. If used as a creative space, be it a theatre or a public space, it would become another ‘must visit’ spot in Bang Rak. With its centralised location, it could also act as an attraction for creative businesses, especially food-related, in the area.

“If Bangkok wants to compete with other cities in the region, we have to be able to somehow utilise old buildings while preserving their legacy. If we let these buildings crumble or tear them down for new developments, Bangkok will soon lose its charms, as well as its livelihood.”

Moves to revitalise old cinemas in Bangkok come amid action elsewhere in the region, such as Singapore, which has dusted off its long-moribund crown jewel Capitol Theatre as a palace for performing arts and first-run movies. And in Malaysia, community activists in George Town, Penang, are working to reopen the Majestic, a moviehouse that dates back to 1919.

Meanwhile, Jablon is on the hunt for more cinemas to preserve in photos. He’s been in Myanmar for the past couple of weeks, revisiting places he first saw around six years ago and travelling to new locations. His work has been hampered by a wounded ankle, burned as the result of an unfortunate meeting with a motorcycle’s tailpipe.

While some of the old Burmese cinemas he photographed six years ago have been swept by the wave of redevelopment in the rapidly modernising country, other places are looking better, among them a chain of old stand-alones being revitalised by the Mingala Cinemas group, which is installing state-of-the-art systems and showing current hit Hollywood films.

“Their strategy is to acquire and upgrade old stand-alones without compromising the original architecture,” Jablon notes. “It’s proof that a major cinema operator can also take part in preservation of cultural and architectural heritage.”

MOVING PICTURES

“Future’s Ruins” runs until May 29 at the H Project Gallery, 201 Sathorn Soi 12. Sales of photos from the show will benefit further research and documentation of cinemas in Southeast Asia. For details, check HgalleryBKK.com.

Jablon also has “The Movie Theatres of Thailand”, a portfolio of 20 photos printed on A4-size Mulberry paper, handmade in Chiang Mai. There are nine sets left from a limited run of 35. The cost is US$300. For further details, check SeaTheater.blogspot.com.

“Future World”, the new permanent exhibition at the innovative ArtScience Museum in Singapore, puts visitors right inside the artwork on display, with the installations reacting dynamically to their presence.

Spanning 1,500 square metres, “Future World” is a collaborative effort between the museum and teamLab, a Japanese interdisciplinary group. It offers a digital world of 15 interactive art installations that come to life through cutting-edge science and technology.

“We’re thrilled to launch ‘Future World’ to mark our fifth anniversary,” says museum executive director Honor Harger. “At the ArtScience Museum we explore the intersection between art, science, technology and culture. Our exhibitions and programmes show that it’s the interplay between these areas that creates innovation and new ideas. We believe that, where art and science meet, the future is made. So, we are naturally drawn to teamLab’s extraordinary work.

“Their fluid combination of artistic expression, technological ingenuity and scientific enquiry and their insistence that ‘We are the future’ make them ideal partners for the museum.

“‘Future World’ is an invitation to have fun, to play and explore,” Harger adds, “but also to reflect on our own position relative to the natural world, other people and the universe. We hope to evoke in visitors a new and imaginative sense of wonder in the world around us.”

A creative collective, teamLab brings together professionals from various fields in the digital community – artists, programmers, engineers, computer-graphics animators, mathematicians, architects, Web- and print-graphic designers and editors.

These “ultra-technologists” aim to achieve a balance between art, science, technology and creativity.

“I developed an interest in science from wanting to understand the world around me,” teamLab founder Toshiyuki Inoko says as he unveils the group’s first and largest permanent artwork exhibition outside of Japan.

“Science is about understanding and predicting phenomena by identifying effective rules for understanding the natural world. The difference between art and science is that there are no absolute ‘right’ answers to an artist’s questions. The answers come from people who sense beauty, are moved in some way, or feel shocked. Then, as a result of the selected answers, people’s understanding of the world has expanded, even shifting social values.

“We hope to expand humanity’s values and upgrade our brains through ‘Future World’ in such a way that the whole world in the future will refer to this exhibition and say, ‘This is where the story began.'”

Pixels replace the customary materials of art – the paint, glass, wood and metal. Children and adults experience both the interactive and non-interactive installations digitally. The displays come from teamLab’s extensive collection of artworks and are arranged in four categories.

In the section called “Nature”, humankind’s impact on the natural world is examined. One exhibit is titled “Flowers and People Cannot be Controlled but Live Together”. Blossoms gently bloom, but then wither and die at the visitor’s touch.

“100 Years Sea” visualises the anticipated rise in sea levels through 2109 due to climate change, based on World Wildlife Foundation estimates. The imagery is eerie, almost haunting, but also as aesthetically pleasing an “artwork” as any you’re apt to find, given the subject matter.

Then it’s off to “Town”, with exhibits that foster cooperation in the shared space of urban settings. It includes “Sketch Town”, where a pad and crayons are provided for visitors to doodle their ideas for a car, truck, plane or rocket. You can even design a municipal transportation network in “Connecting! Train Block”, creating roads and railways by linking wooden blocks. “A Table Where Little People Live” involves interacting with miniature figures as they go about their daily lives.

The jaw-dropping digital work “Universe of Water Particles” marks the transition point from “Town” to “Park”. As in “Sketch Town”, you get to create your own underwater world with “Sketch Aquarium”, complete with fish and other sea creatures waiting to be fed. “Story of a Time when Gods were Everywhere” is a digitally projected world where hieroglyphic characters turn into natural elements at a touch and, just as in nature, no two moments are repeated and you have a fresh experience with each encounter.

“Light Ball Orchestra” affords a chance to compose a symphony by bouncing coloured balls around, and “Create! Hopscotch for Geniuses” indulges your inner child with a round of interactive hopscotch that becomes more vibrant as your accuracy improves.

Finally there’s “Space”, in which viewers arrive at the heart of the universe and experience astrophysical phenomena through an interactive installation utilising 170,000 LED lights

This way forward

“Future World” is a permanent exhibition at the ArtScience Museum at the Marina Bay Sands resort in Singapore.

The museum is open daily from 10 to 7, though no newcomers are admitted after 6.

Tickets cost S$8 to $28 (Bt203 to Bt710) and can be used repeatedly on the same day.

Find out more at http://www.MarinaBaySands.com/ArtScienceMuseum.