On memory and history in Thai arts; reflections at an exhibition.

Abstract

Since the death of Rama V, Thai artists have been increasingly questioning their artistic traditions. Where Thai art had once received both its inspiration and patronage from religion and monarchy, it is today being thrust onto a more internationalized stage. While Thai ‘neotraditionalisms’still flourish, where past themes, motifs, and crafts are quoted and revitalized, many young Thai artists now see such traditional Thai arts as belonging to the past, or to a largely tourist market still hungry for the exotic, the decorative, and the strangely beautiful. In what can only be described as a complex and diverse matrix of activities and directions, many new Thai artists are seeking new ways of engagement with their culture and its history. Some have done so by making the relation of art, memory and history their central theme. In this way, they have sought not only a new art, but a better political and educational future for their country, as well. The proposed essay explores this situation by focusing on an art exhibition entitled History and Memory, shown at the Chulalongkorn University Gallery in August 2001. The exhibition featured works in three different media by three different artists: Manit Sriwanichpoom, photography, Sutee Kunavichayanont (installation), and Ing K (painting). How did their work pose the question of the relation of the present to the past and how did each pursue in their works of art the work of memory and history?