12 Reasons Why Thai People are not Afraid of Globalisation | 12 เหตุผลทำไมคนไทยไม่กลัวโลกาภิวัตน์
12 Reasons Why Thai People Are Not Afraid of Globalisation was originally made as a respond to an exhibition titled Identities Versus Globalisation, which organized by Heinrich Böll Foundation and curated by Jörg Löschmann. In 2004, the exhibition had traveled to Chiang Mai Art Museum in Chiang Mai, the National Art Gallery in Bangkok, Thailand and Dahlem Museum, Berlin, Germany.
In 2004, 12 Reasons Why Thai People Are Not Afraid of Globalisation was composed with free copies of 12 Reasons Why Thai People Are Not Afraid of Globalisation handbook both in Thai and English descriptions, later a German translation was available due to an attempt to reach German viewers in Berlin. The installation of 12 Reasons Why Thai People Are Not Afraid of Globalisation is including 12 photographs showing the 12 reasons from handbook displaying in 12 landmark locations in Bangkok. In 2007 the Chinese handbooks version had been produced for a show entitled Religious Beliefs and Contemporary, Social Phenomena of Southern East Asia in Guangdong Museum of Art, China.
In 2011, the installation of 12 Reasons Why Thai People Are Not Afraid of Globalisation has been extended to includes original water color painting displays the image of 1st reason, “Integrate local wisdom : traditional Thai massage and Thai Boxing”, a light box displaying an image of a giant billboard of the water color painting hung at the façade of MBK centre in the hearth of Bangkok downtown. Three versions of handbook are also setup aiming to complete the development of the work.
12 Reasons Why Thai People are not afraid of Globalisation
Thai people want to be modernized as well as keeping their national identity. The work entitled 12 Reasons Why Thai People are not afraid of Globalisation is a kind of humorous respond to the strategies of how to harmonize globalisation and Thai identity. For instance, nowadays the idea of “integration of local wisdom”, Thai boxing and traditional Thai massage are very popular, especially in tourism. What I did was “integrate” them all as “face massage” using Thai boxer’s feet. Another one from 12 Reasons is showing how Thai people share benefit and balance between old and new, modernity and Thai. As it is represented in an image of a woman who wears traditional Thai, is stepping on two boats, one is Venetian Gondola and another one is Thai boat. Venetian Gondola and Chao Phraya River also refer to “Venice of the East”, the 19th Century given name of Bangkok by Western, as she had a lot of river, canals and people commuted by boats.
The techniques of the work were from the idea of “making less but effect more”. I had used small water colour painting and digitally manipulated to be images of large billboard in downtown of Bangkok. In this work series, I also give away free copies of handbooks in the same title, 12 Reasons Why Thai People are not afraid of Globalisation to most of viewers.
12 Reasons Why Thai People are not Afraid of Globalisation
12 Reasons Why Thai People are not Afraid of Globalisation
12 Reasons Why Thai People are not Afraid of Globalisation
12 Reasons Why Thai People are not Afraid of Globalisation
12 Reasons Why Thai People are not Afraid of Globalisation
12 Reasons Why Thai People are not Afraid of Globalisation
12 Reasons Why Thai People are not Afraid of Globalisation
12 Reasons Why Thai People are not Afraid of Globalisation
12 Reasons Why Thai People are not Afraid of Globalisation
12 Reasons Why Thai People are not Afraid of Globalisation