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As the month of June arrives in Bangkok it brings with it the hope that things are (fingers crossed) slowly returning to normal. This is especially good news for gallery goers who haven’t had much to lift their spirits during the recent lockdown period.
Hero image: Image from Eugenio Recuenco’s 365° photography installation
The month of May, in 2021, will be remembered, in part, for its strict lockdown regulations, all part of Thailand’s ongoing attempt to deal with the Covid-19 global pandemic fallout. Many businesses in Bangkok were affected by the enforced closures, although some galleries in the city remained open, with by-appointment-only visits that followed strict masking and social distancing protocols. Thankfully, as things appear to be a bit more under control, more galleries will be opening their doors to visitors, and the line-up for June (and beyond) promises some very worthwhile shows; including a major international photography exhibition making a
At the recent ribbon-cutting ceremony of the Office of Contemporary Art and Culture's (OCAC) Art Collection in the spacious art hall on Ratchadamnoen Avenue, a group of ageing male artists covered in sanitary masks surrounded the director of OCAC, Vimolluck Chuchart, who gave a self-congratulatory speech. She proudly announced that the public will be able to view for the first time the national collection of the Ministry of Culture's contemporary Thai art. Beside these elderlies stood a white giant fibreglass sculpture by Sutee Kunavichyanont in Thai military uniform wearing a helmet with a rifle erect. Sutee's Equality; Thai Soldier (2016) is inspired by the cultural mandates between 1939 and 1942 during the premiere of Phibul Songkhram that aimed to uplift the national spirit and moral code of the nation and instil progressive tendencies and newness into Thai life.
Kanachai “Kit” Bencharongkul of MOCA Bangkok on helming the museum and pushing it in ever more diverse directions Pursuits
Kanachai “Kit” Bencharongkul of MOCA Bangkok on helming the museum and pushing it in ever more diverse directions Share
In the mid-2000s I was given a private tour of The Hermitage, Russia’s famed museum of art and culture in Saint Petersburg, by one of the head curators (the cousin of a Canadian colleague of mine). It was an incredible way to experience the museum, seeing it through the eyes of someone so intimately connected to each artwork on display.