London: Deputy Prime Minister Tanasak Patimapragorn presided over the opening of "Thailand Eye presented by Prudential" art exhibition at the Saatchi Gallery in London on Tuesday.
Tanasak: On a trip to the United Kingdom
The exhibition, featuring 23 selected Thai artists, was the final event in the Totally Thai cultural project -- also comprising a khon masked dance performance at the Royal Albert Hall, and the Thai Film Festival at the British Academy of Film and Television Arts -- held in the UK to celebrate the 60th birthday of HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn and the 160th anniversary of Thailand-UK diplomatic relations.
The event also served to launch Thailand Eye: Contemporary Thai Art, an in-depth look at Thailand's contemporary art scene featuring 75 Thai artists including the 23 featured artists, published by Skira, Italy, for worldwide distribution.
Thailand Eye will be on display at the Saatchi Gallery until January 2016, after which it will open at the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre in March 2016.
Launched in 2008 by David Ciclitira, chairman of Parallel Contemporary Art, the Prudential Eye Programme aims to support emerging artists in Asia, including Thailand.
On this same trip to the UK, Gen Tanasak, accompanied by Apinan Poshyananda, permanent secretary for the Ministry of Culture, visited the Victoria and Albert Museum to discuss cooperation with regard to the transfer of exhibition technology and know-how, curator training and the sharing of content.