2562++ Exhibition at Bangkok Art Biennale 2018

2562++

Exhibition at Bangkok Art Biennale 2018, Bangkok, Thailand

And Retrospective in "Shift Path: 2.5 PM" Exhibition at S.A.C. Subhashok The Arts Centre

Exhibition at Bangkok Art Biennale 2018, Bangkok, Thailand

The Chao Phraya is the most important river in Thailand and we have settled and lived near the river ever since. As time passed by, the waterfront community has changed into the land one. Therefore, the Chao Phraya has turned into just a huge water pipe, which is barred with high concrete walls. On one hand, these walls are built in order to prevent floods.On the other hand they can also be seen as a symbol of a detachment from the vital river. People are no longer aware of its importance and have been dumping waste and filth into the river. This consequently causes water pollution and leads many species of aquatic animals to become endangered. We all have ignored this problem for so many years forgetting the fact that sooner or later it is getting worse unless it is fixed. It is known that the Chao Phraya is a historical spacewhich has been present along with the urban growth of the Metropolitan of Bangkok. The river has facilitated the urbanization of the capital in both economic and social aspects and is seen as a symbol of the city. However, the urbanization means a physical intrusion as changes at the bank, such as contraction and expansion in the size of the river, definitely force human, living creatures, and environment in the ecosystem to adapt themselves to this constant transformation. Any living creatures which are not able to do so will eventually become extinct. Besides, there are few studies on the solution to this problem, and the solution is still barking up the wrong tree and could also make it even worse. In Bangkok Art Biennale 2018, Patipat Chaiwitesh(b.1986) wants to set some questions on current situation about adaptation between City – River - Creatures. The artist has done some scientific research on ecosystem, aquatic animals and the urbanization around the river. This is how he began creating this artwork named 2562++, which is a kind of installation art and miniature exhibition selected by the artist himself. This work is a combination of ordinary objects whichare put on living creatures found around the bank, such aswater hyacinth, eels, pigeons, etc. to create a distortion byfamiliar objects. The artist portrays this artwork with fictional narrative method, satirically showing how these living creatures have tried to adapt themselves to the change in this capital city. Thus, 2562++ is considered both new aesthetic experience, which rouses the Thais and foreigners to realize the change in riverside, and a display of the effect of urbanizzation nowadays.