Untitled 2017 4068 x 1716 px 19 mins MOV file

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From ‘Beat around the Bush’ and ‘This Show is Canceled’ to ‘The Last Exhibition (Temporary Name)’

In October last year, I had the opportunity to host a solo exhibition in a gallery near Saphan Taksin under the name “Beat Around the Bush (2016)”. The exhibition included paintings, sculptures, photographs, lightboxes, LED neon flexible lights, t-shirts, and other items of display. The concept of all the pieces was about censoring oneself (or “using symbolic” as other artists would describe it) through art to address a piece of contemporary Thai history that one cannot address in public, even after 70 years.

However, during that time, an unexpected event occurred that affected the people in the Thai society greatly – the news of Rama IX’s passing. The news spread and eventually reached the art society, resulting in the request from the gallery to put on hold all exhibitions two days before the event, as the atmosphere during the period could lead to my artwork being misinterpreted or affecting viewers unintentionally. I accepted and understood the gallery’s decision and almost immediately agreed upon their request.

I did not stay put with the fate I had to face, and decided to negotiate with the gallery owner. Since the timing of my exhibition was still unchanged, I asked to exhibit my conversation with the gallery owner instead and the owner accepted my proposal leading to the exhibition called “This Show is Canceled (2016)”. (The funny thing was that people thought the word “canceled” meant that it was actually canceled). The exhibition showed the result of censoring myself and the owner in a matter that really happened such as a photograph of an empty exhibition space, a video interview of myself before my voice was cut out periodically, and the conversation between the owner and me that was expanded and showed on a white wall.

After completing the exhibition with an amazing feeling that I had toughed it out through hard times, I returned to being obsessed with my full-time job for a long while. Amidst a gloomy and mourning overlook around the society, I had received an advice from a friend to talk to the owner of Cartel Artspace who agreed to re-exhibit all my artworks that were not showed under “Beat Around the Bush” in the following year. I could not wait for the day to come.

I waited months after months. The long wait had a total opposite effect. The artworks that sat waiting to be re-exhibited, they felt foreign to me. Every time I looked at them, I no longer had any passion or desire left for these works. I wanted to tear them to pieces, I did not want anyone to witness or possess them, even myself. I hated them.

All of this led to the “The Last Exhibition (Temporary Name)” (2017), an exhibition to show the scrap and ash of what is left of pieces of art, and this will be my last exhibition as an artist. Please come express your condolences and congratulations at Cartel Artspace, Bankok from 6-24 August 2017

Sina Wittayawiroj