Imagine Peace: Contemporary Art in Thailand in the Age of Turbulence (ฟันถึงสันติภาพ ศิลปะไทยร่วมสมัยในยุคขัดแย้ง) opened yesterday at Bangkok Art and Culture Centre. The large-scale exhibition, featuring around 100 artists, is a response to the political polarisation and violence of recent months.
Imagine Peace was organised by the Ministry of Culture, and its catalogue was published by the Ministry. This is problematic, as it was the government that authorised the use of live ammunition by the military, leading to the deaths of almost ninety people. The catalogue begins with a double-page spread of photographs of the events of last month, though they show only the burning buildings, not the military violence. This is essentially propaganda, perpetuating the state’s narrative that the pro-democracy protesters were merely arsonists.
The exhibition itself features idealistic artworks that create a false impression of unity and harmony. The most naive and simplistic example is Hug (กอด), a living sculpture of two artists wearing yellow and red shirts hugging each other, performed on the opening day by Nu Nimsomboon and Pongsuang Khunprasop. The only attempt to address the military crackdown is Yuree Gensaku’s cartoonish painting Please Peace Me (โปรดอย่าถอยท้อ). Imagine Peace runs until 22nd August.
Imagine Peace was organised by the Ministry of Culture, and its catalogue was published by the Ministry. This is problematic, as it was the government that authorised the use of live ammunition by the military, leading to the deaths of almost ninety people. The catalogue begins with a double-page spread of photographs of the events of last month, though they show only the burning buildings, not the military violence. This is essentially propaganda, perpetuating the state’s narrative that the pro-democracy protesters were merely arsonists.
The exhibition itself features idealistic artworks that create a false impression of unity and harmony. The most naive and simplistic example is Hug (กอด), a living sculpture of two artists wearing yellow and red shirts hugging each other, performed on the opening day by Nu Nimsomboon and Pongsuang Khunprasop. The only attempt to address the military crackdown is Yuree Gensaku’s cartoonish painting Please Peace Me (โปรดอย่าถอยท้อ). Imagine Peace runs until 22nd August.
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