Brand New World

Brand New World

The opening of MAIIAM Contemporary Art Museum in Chiang Mai this Sunday marks one of the year's most important cultural events

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Brand New World
Still from Apichatpong’s video work Ghost Teen.

Chiang Mai has long been Bangkok's arch-rival when it comes to being the country's art hub -- the capital has the money and the galleries, while the northern city has the vibe and an increasing role as artists' preferred habitat. This Sunday, Chiang Mai will take a huge leap with the opening of MAIIAM Contemporary Art Museum, a privately owned space by Jean Michel Beurdeley, his late wife Patsri Bunnag and their son Eric Bunnag Booth.

The opening of MAIIAM is definitely one of the biggest art events of the year. Not only because the museum will showcase the family's private collection of Thai and regional contemporary art, amassed over three decades, but for its inaugural show, "The Serenity Of Madness", the first-ever retrospective of the internationally celebrated artist and Chiang Mai-based filmmaker Apichatpong Weerasethakul.

The new space and the massive opening will also help the Chiang Mai art scene acquire an international lustre.

"My parents [stepfather Jean Michel and late mother Patsri Bunnag] and I have been collecting Thai contemporary art since the early 90s," said Booth. "We feel the collection has become interesting enough, -- though far from complete, as we shall continue to collect -- to share with the public.

"In Thailand, there are no places where one can view Thai contemporary art or at least the artists we have enjoyed collecting. A lot of them are collected by international museums but only have temporary shows in Thailand."

Mai-iam means "brand new", but it's also a pun on the name of the city of Chiang Mai, "new city"; meanwhile, "iam" is from Booth's great-aunt's name Chao Chom Iam, who was a royal consort to King Rama V. Booth said his great-aunt's final wish was for the family to dedicate something educational in her name, and he and his stepfather see this museum as an inspiration for new and future generations of Thai and regional artists.

The museum's consultant and guest curator, Gridthiya Gaweewong, said the family's collection contributes to the ongoing dialogue of Southeast Asian art history, and to the important question regarding when exactly Thai contemporary art began.

The typically accepted period of time for that is the late 80s and early 90s, and the permanent collection displayed at MAIIAM Contemporary Art Museum is, though not complete, one of the most comprehensive, with names like the late Montien Boonma, Kamin Lertchaiprasert, Chatchai Puipia, Araya Rasdjarmrearnsook, Navin Rawanchaikul, Natee Utarit, Vasan Sitthiket, Pinaree Sanpitak and Rirkrit Tiravanija, as well as young and emerging Thai artists.

"My stepfather has collected art from the age of 21, when he first opened his gallery in Paris. I had the chance to grow up with him and in a family of collectors and specialists in art. His father was an expert in Asian antiquities," said Booth.

"I immediately started collecting Thai contemporary art when I returned from my studies in the US in 1993."

Booth stressed that the museum's intention is to present the history of Thai modern and contemporary art, and one doesn't need to know the history of art to enjoy the collection. The collection has been acquired based on their intuition and passion for the artworks, rather than for the purpose of decoration and investment.

Designed by architectural firm all(zone), the 3,000m² space in Chiang Mai's Sankampang district is converted from an old warehouse. One of the most striking aspects is the metallic, reflecting façade made of countless little mirrors. While the upper floor consists of the museum's permanent collection, the ground floor is now taken over by Apichatpong's works.

"For years, my parents have enjoyed seeing his movies in Paris," said Booth when asked why he chose the Cannes-winning filmmaker as the subject for the museum's inaugural show. "We are honoured that Apichatpong has selected our space for his first-ever retrospective. It's also important for us to collaborate with a Chiang Mai-based artist."

Prior to the idea of opening of MAIIAM Contemporary Museum, curator Gridthiya had been approached by Independent Curators International to curate an Apichatpong show that will travel around the world. The plan for this museum is timely, and it's set to be a first stop before moving on elsewhere. With support from South Korea's Yanghyun Foundation, Gridthiya said it's a retrospective not of Apichatpong as a filmmaker but as a visual artist whose video works have been shown extensively in galleries and museums around the world.

"Most people know him as a feature-film director," said Gridthiya. "But none of those will be shown here. It was usually during his breaks from feature films that he would work on these short video works that he could work on alone."

The core of the exhibition is nearly 20 video works, the earliest one dating back as far as 1994, when Apichatpong was still studying film at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

"Made before and during his feature-film productions from 1994 to the present, these works have served as a kind of catharsis for the artist," reads the exhibition text. "Presented together, they offer rare insights into Apichatpong's unique creative process, yielding a fascinating dialogue with his cinematic work."

Even though none of his feature films will be in the show, another significant aspect is a display of scripts, production sketches and reference materials from the making of his films Mysterious Object At Noon (2000), Blissfully Yours (2002) and Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives (2010). Additionally, the museum will present Apichatpong's newly-remastered 30 short films in four screening programmes.

"There's so much behind-the-scenes and in-the-making material that Apichatpong joked with me that he feels it's more like his funeral than a retrospective," said Gridthiya. "There are two worlds in Apichatpong. One is as a feature film director and the other is this, as a visual artist most people have never seen."


MAIIAM Contemporary Art Museum opens for the public next Monday (daily except Tuesdays, 10am-6pm). Please note that the museum is open on July 5. "The Serenity of Madness" is on display until Sep 10. Admission fee is 150 baht (100 baht for children and free for kids under 12). For more information, go to Facebook: MAIIAM Contemporary Art Museum or www.maiiam.com.

The interior of MAIIAM Contemporary Art Museum. Photo: Soopakorn Srisakul

The interior of MAIIAM Contemporary Art Museum. Photo by Soopakorn Srisakul

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