To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the arrival of Corrado Feroci, or Prof Silpa Bhirasri, in the Kingdom of Siam, the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre (BACC) in collaboration with the Bhirasri Institute of Modern Art Foundation and Silpakorn University has organised the exhibition "Art-Thai-Time".
Silpa Bhirasri played a prominent role in the development of Thai modern art. Besides his state-commissioned sculptural works of important monuments throughout Bangkok, his cultural vision was far-reaching, resulting in the initiation of various institutions that have kept his dreams alive. Among these are the Bhirasri Institute of Modern Art (BIMA), Thailand's first public art gallery, and the School of Fine Arts which later became Silpakorn University.
In the first part of the exhibition "Art-Thai-Time", visitors are transported to a historical period when Siam was trying to ward off colonialism. To project an image of a civilised country, many Westerners, including Prof Silpa, were invited to Siam as advisers, to contribute to the design of modern architecture and monuments. At the entrance of this zone, three stained glass windows by Galileo Chini, a well-known Italian designer, are exhibited.
Chatvichai Promadhattavedi, head of the curatorial team, mentioned a mural art at Wat Boromniwat painted by the artist Khrua-In-Khong that depicts Thai traditional angels, Western buildings and sailing boats and the planet Saturn representing culture and science.
Sitthidham Rohitasuk, a curator in the team, explained that this zone showcases Western influence on Siam's elite society. For instance, photographs which were believed to bring bad luck became a trend in royal palaces.
"The equestrian statue of King Rama V was created in France. However, after Prof Silpa set up a foundry in Siam, the King Taksin monument was built to showcase the country's advanced technology and techniques," said Sitthidham.
Since the exhibition focuses on BIMA, a model is located right next to the entrance. Situated in Sathon 1, BIMA was the first public art gallery in Thailand from 1974 to 1988. ML Tridhosyuth Devakul designed BIMA to include a conference room with a capacity of 250. Besides paintings, he believed in the inclusion of other art forms such as stage and music performances. As a result, during the 70s to 80s, BIMA was the only art centre that attracted visitors to experience such shows.
"In an article published in a programme brochure for the National Exhibition of Art, Prof Silpa expressed his desire to have a public gallery supported by the government. BIMA was built after Prof Silpa passed away, with half of the funding provided by the government and the other half supported by patrons and artists. In addition to BIMA and Silpakorn University, Prof Silpa established the National Exhibition of Art and aimed to promote careers in the field of art to gain acceptance by society. He also elevated Thailand's art industry to an international level," said Chatvichai, who was at one time a director of BIMA.
After Prof Silpa passed away, many artists began creating abstract paintings which were influenced by Western artists. Prof Silpa considered abstract art as a leap that might cause young artists to skip acquiring a solid foundation of knowledge in art.
"In the year 1974, when BIMA was founded, young people became interested in politics and literature as a means to reflect life in society due to Field Marshal Thanom Kittikachorn's dictatorship while he was in power as prime minister. Following the Oct 6, 1976, massacre, interest in politics shifted towards abstract art and traditional art," explained Paisal Theerapongvisanuporn, another curator in the team.
At "Art-Thai-Time", the painting Festival by Prapat Jothaprasert, which won the National Exhibition of Art award in 1964, is displayed to address a conflict in the competition.
"It was the first time that artists protested against judges at an art competition. The artists criticised judges for being old-fashioned because, despite various new forms of art, a traditional painting still won the award," said Sitthidham.
After Silpakorn University opened a Department of Thai Art in 1976, a trend emerged and began to gain popularity. Paintings by two renowned artists -- Chalermchai Kositpipat and Panya Vijinthanasarn -- can be seen at the exhibition. While Chalermchai's paintings were inspired by the people's way of life, Panya created semi-surreal paintings inspired by current events in the country.
Waetee Samai was a popular event organised every two months at BIMA. At "Art-Thai-Time", there is a space displaying videos which were filmed at Waetee Samai. The exhibition also featured poster events and two art pieces -- Making Love In The Crowd by Vasan Sitthiket and The Corpse Of Traditional Culture by Paisal Theerapongvisanuporn. Waetee Samai reflected the trend of conceptual, performing and installation art that was prevalent at that time.
International organisations such as the British Council, Alliance Française and Goethe-Institut played a major role in supporting Thai artists by exhibiting artworks and providing funds. The exhibitions were diverse and creative. To illustrate this point, Chatvichai mentioned a female artist, Sriwan Janehuttakarnkit, who created City Life (a watercolour and ink painting) and Darkness Night and Day And Night (two colour pencil paintings).
"Art used to be formal, but Sriwan, an artist who enjoyed having a good time and drinking, created a carefree collection. It was unusual and added variety to the art scene."
Another intriguing aspect of the exhibition was how Bangkokians had the opportunity to learn more about local culture at BIMA.
"Bangkokians used to only recognise dances from the Central Region. However, after artists from other regions came to perform at BIMA, city people learned about traditional folk songs from other regions like pleng choi and nora as well as other local performances like traditional puppetry," said Chatvichai.
On one wall at "Art-Thai-Time", there are archives displaying timeline events of BIMA, events in Thailand's art industry and political events from 1974 to 1988. Narongsak Nilkhet, the curator who collected the documents, provided detailed information about the events with accompanying photos.
BIMA closed down in 1988 but served as an inspiration for the establishment of the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre which now plays a significant role in Thailand's art industry. There is news that BIMA may undergo renovation and be reopened in the future.
"I hope that viewers will come to understand the importance of BIMA, as it was not just a public space for art exhibitions and events, but it was also an infrastructure of Thailand's art industry. I also want to question why the government does not establish such infrastructure for the country and when will they realise the importance of art," concluded Chatvichai.
"Art-Thai-Time" runs at Bangkok Art and Culture Centre until Aug 20. Admission is free. For information, visit facebook.com/baccpage.
