Padmini Chettur’s “Varnam” and Pichet Klunchun’s “I Am A Demon”: An Instructive Contrast
By Bilqis Hijjas (975 words, four-minute read) If you have ever felt that classical Indian dance is too melodramatic – if you have ever rolled your eyes at a dancer’s fervid abhinaya, or a poem narrator’s extravagant diction – or…
On The Level with Theatre Students of Taiwan and Thailand (via The Nation)
A new Taiwan-Thailand drama school collaboration is as delectable as pineapple tarts. One of the joys of attending a student theatre work – when it’s not the typical graduation project for which many of the aspiring artists have to do…
Biennale seen posing challenges for artists (via The Nation)
The Bangkok Art Biennale beginning on October 19 will have as its theme “Beyond Bliss”. The event puts the Thai capital along cities around the world, from Berlin to Beijing, that host biennials, bringing together creative minds to construct their…
Cambodian FB users rage over dance ownership (via The Nation)
August 31, 2018 18:20 United Nations’ cultural agency Unesco’s Facebook page has hosted a heated debate between Cambodians and Thais over Bangkok’s proposal for the inclusion of “khon” masked dance on the agency’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list. Social network users…
“Pratthana: A Portrait of Possession”: Of Politics and Desire
By Amitha Amranand (1225 words, six-minute read) Everyone is always watching and being watched in Pratthana: A Portrait of Possession, the latest play by Japanese director Toshiki Okada. The play begins with a Narcissus-like image—a young man gazes into the…
Who pays for art? (via Bangkok Post)
Should museums be funded by the state or by private sponsors? The question looms large with the current problems at Bangkok Art and Culture Centre (BACC), the largest publicly-funded art gallery in the country — and with the rise of many…
Cash-strapped BACC counts on friends in deed (via The Nation)
The Bangkok Art and Culture Centre (BACC) Foundation is about to raise its profile as vice chairperson Panya Vijinthanasarn and committee secretary Chatvichai Promadhattavedi seek a meeting with the city’s unimpressed governor, Aswin Kwanmuang, about funding support and sustainable management….
The Artist-Curator’s Eye: Manit Sriwanichpoom’s “Rediscovering Forgotten Thai Masters of Photography”
By Elaine Chiew (1,600 words, eight-minute read) Art historian Patrick Flores first addressed the phenomenon of the artist-curator in his seminal essay Turns in Tropics [1] as someone who holds a certain power and who has become a key figure…
Art is for everyone: Aree Soothipunt (via Bangkok Post)
‘Some people asked me why I didn’t paint Lord Rama [Phra Ram from the Ramakien epic] green,” said 88-year-old Aree Soothipunt in his husky voice, pointing to his abstract painting from the late 70s of a blue-skinned Rama. “The literature never…
Thai street artists send political messages against corruption and military rule with spray and stencils (via SCMP)
A growing number of Thai street artists are turning political and getting their anti-corruption messages across with spray paint. Most keep their identity secret for fear of reprisals from the authorities. South China Morning Post speaks with three artists. There…
Mayfly Docus: “Die Tomorrow” and “14 Apples” at SIFA’s “Singular Screens”
By Dan Koh (1,715 words, 15-minute read) At this year’s Singapore International Festival of Arts (SIFA), the two films from Southeast Asia are documentaries, or hybrid-documentaries—just like last year’s three, curiously. Despite the glaring gaps that remain in the funding,…
Myanmar Artists’ Works Tackling Identity, Displacement on Show in Chiang Mai (via The Irrawady)
CHIANG MAI, Thailand – Works by 18 established and emerging artists from Southeast Asia offering their personal experiences of global migration, notions of identity and ongoing humanitarian crises in Myanmar are on currently on display in a group exhibition in…
“Talk to me and I slap you”: confronting intimacy and violence
By Chloe Chotrani (1,040 words, five-minute read) The one who loves you hits you. The one who hits you loves you. The one who loves you hurts you. This is a piece about relationships, unfortunately. (We can’t get away from…
One Man, Stand Alone: On the trail of the old movie theaters (via Asiola)
“After nearly 10 years of documenting the vanishing stand-alone movie theaters in Southeast Asia, I’d like to invite the public into my world, to experience exactly what it is that I experience when doing this work.” Philip Jablon is a cultural…
Creating ‘Hedonistic Sustainability’ With Wonderfruit’s Founder ‘Pete’ Phornprapha (via VICE)
There’s something inherently sneaky about Thailand’s annual music festival Wonderfruit. The fest, which is fast becoming one of the best in Southeast Asia, is about so much more than music. Sure, those festival memories may have started in the Quarry, but…
Rantau Reviews: “Something Missing” & “Plan B” in Bangkok
By Alfian Sa’at (1500 words, 7-minute read) We can tell a few things about a theatre scene from the categories in its awards shows. In the International Association of Theatre Critics-Thailand (IACT-T) annual nominations list, there is one particular category…
Rantau Reviews: “Co/exist” & “Private Conversation” in Bangkok
By Alfian Sa’at (1395 words, 10-minute read) In the middle of the black box studio of the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre there is a white rectangle placed on the floor. Above it, a rectangular box is mounted, casting fluorescent…
Rantau Reviews: “Bangkok Notes”
By Alfian Sa’at (1248 words, 10-minute read) Tokyo Notes, a 1994 play by Oriza Hirata, was inspired by the 1953 film Tokyo Story by Yasujiro Ozu. The shift from ‘story’ to ‘notes’ forms what could be described as the play’s…
Regional Forum on Creative Hubs: Connecting Creative Communities
By Akanksha Raja (900 words, 8-minute read) The Regional Forum on Creative Hubs and Cities, organised by the British Council, took place at the Thailand Creative & Design Center (TCDC) on 10 October 2017. It was an extension of a…
ArtsEquator’s Picks: Southeast Asian films at SGIFF 2017
By Meta Setiawan Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF) returns this year from 23 November to 3 December 2017, presenting an exciting array of films from Singapore, the region and all other corners of the world. ArtsEquator.com is excited to see…
Tikam-Tikam Japan: Site-Specific Monkeys by Pichet Klunchun
By Leow Puay Tin (911 words, 6-minute read) Pichet Klunchun was invited to create an outdoor performance at Minami Ikebukuro Park, a popular hang-out place for families and young people in Tokyo, by the Festival Tokyo 2017. It was an…
![Unravelling social and political threads [Thailand]](https://artsequator.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/RADAR_Thailand_BACC_PAF6-455x250.jpeg)
Unravelling social and political threads [Thailand]
“Bangkok Art and Culture Centre’s (BACC) fourth floor studio, the main venue for its ongoing sixth annual Performative Art Festival (PAF#6), is once again opening doors and lending its support not only to professional dance and theatre groups but also…
![Thai Soldiers Censor Art Exhibition in Bangkok [Thailand]](https://artsequator.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Radar_Thai_HaritSrikhao_chosen_boys-1-455x250.jpg)
Thai Soldiers Censor Art Exhibition in Bangkok [Thailand]
“On June 15, Thai soldiers forced their way into two Bangkok galleries that were hosting exhibitions by two young Thai contemporary artists whose works reflect on their homeland’s political landscape. The military took down three collages by photographer Harit Srikhao…
![Love, life and theatre [Thailand]](https://artsequator.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Radar_Thailand_BKKTheatreFestivalAsia2017-1-455x250.jpg)
Love, life and theatre [Thailand]
“Bangkok Theatre Festival Asia Focus 2017, one of four major events being organised in the field of digital, creative, culture and high-value services as part of the government’s plan to make Thailand into the international and mega-event hub in Asia,…
![Home is where the art is, at Ban Pong district in Ratchaburi [Thailand]](https://artsequator.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Radar_Thailand_BanPongUrbanArtTerminal2017-1-455x250.jpg)
Home is where the art is, at Ban Pong district in Ratchaburi [Thailand]
“Around an hour’s drive west of Bangkok, Ban Pong district in Ratchaburi has been turned into a vibrant art gallery, where visitors can explore the town and take selfies with striking works by more than 40 contemporary artists. Under the…
![First Bangkok Art Biennale to Launch In 2018 [Thailand]](https://artsequator.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Radar_Thailand_BangkokArtBiennale2018_Artasiapacific-1-455x250.jpg)
First Bangkok Art Biennale to Launch In 2018 [Thailand]
“The first Bangkok Art Biennale (BAB) will be held next year, from November 2018 to February 2019 in Thailand’s capital. The announcement regarding BAB’s first edition was made in Venice on May 13 at the Westin Europa & Regina Hotel, San…
![Mesmerising molam [Thailand, Laos]](https://artsequator.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Radar_Thailand_Laos_Molammusic-1-455x250.jpg)
Mesmerising molam [Thailand, Laos]
“Twenty-five years ago I joined a team from the Japan Foundation on a tour of Isan to meet and talk to molam artists, as part of a project on Lao music in the region. We met up with the then-president…
![Following the Threads that Connect Clothing to Religious Persecution in Southeast Asia [Thailand]](https://artsequator.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Radar_Thailand_JakkaiSiributrDisplaced_hyperallergic-455x250.jpg)
Following the Threads that Connect Clothing to Religious Persecution in Southeast Asia [Thailand]
“The violence meted out against people for their religious, political, and ethnic affiliations, often signaled by clothing and the symbols they wear, provides a lens through which to see abuses of power. All over the world, clothing and symbols can take on protective,…
Thailand’s Last Movie Billboard Painters
By Philip Jablon (650 words, 7-minute read) Over the past 20 or so years, Thailand’s movie exhibition industry – that is, the collection of businesses and activities involved in the commercial showing of films – has experienced sweeping change on…
Review of “POP AYE”: A Soul Journey
By Yue Jie (870 words, 7-minute read) Spoiler alert! If you’ve not watched the movie yet, go see it before reading on. Few films deal with animals as a central character, and even fewer have an elephant as its protagonist….