At Gallery Ver Project Room, visitors can see projections of 3D chicks walking under a handmade woven coop. While the chicks are walking, various objects -- mobile phones, laptops, cameras, doughnuts, bubble milk tea plastic cups, cars, airplanes, dumbbells and placards -- randomly drop on their heads.
The animation is a part of a 3D art exhibition "Comfort Objects" by digital artist Saratta Chuengsatiansup, known for his Facebook page Uninspired by Current Events which presents images inspired by the news. Uninspired by Current Events stands out because the page uses one digital image and a two-word caption to satire current issues. Due to its effective images and witty and up-to-date content, the page has over 288,000 followers.
As a result of his popularity, Saratta had the opportunity to participate in two significant art events -- Bangkok Art Biennale 2022 and Bangkok Illustration Fair 2022 before having his solo exhibition at Gallery Ver. "Comfort Objects" is an experimental project that allows Saratta to do something different from Uninspired by Current Events. Saratta admitted that while he was trying to create this exhibition, he was confused because he did not consider himself an artist.
"Uninspired by Current Events attracts a mass audience. I graduated from the Faculty of Communication Arts at Chulalongkorn University. I learned how to produce movies or TV series that appeal, but the value of art exhibitions is different. Staff at Gallery Ver told me that the Gallery Ver Project Room is a space for experiments, so it is open to any idea," Saratta explained.
Saratta decided to use the computer program Unity, which is used to create games. The program continually chooses random objects to drop on the chicks at "Comfort Objects". Since he could not create an exhibition that is always up to date with the latest news, he chose to work on something more personal.
"Working on Uninspired by Current Events became a stable job. It was a time when I felt lost and wondered what I should do next. I tried to find a hobby and searched for the meaning of life. Finally, I discovered that it does not have to be something huge. I do something to pass the time which is similar to the small chicks in 'Comfort Objects'. They wander around and find some objects to comfort them, so they do not feel aimless," said Saratta.
In "Comfort Objects", 3D chicks represent young people. Saratta explained that he used chicks to symbolise young people because they walk on two legs like humans.
"Walking on two legs makes chicks resemble humans. They are domestic animals raised for the food industry. This is similar to young people who are raised to live in a system or among industries created by people. When viewers are in Gallery Ver Project Room, they are enveloped by a huge shadow of the coop. Thus, they are similar to chicks," said Saratta.
"Comfort Objects" was a challenging job for Saratta since he did not know his audience.
"I had no idea what expectations viewers have for an art exhibition. They were an unknown group, so I did not know what kind of issue could grab their attention," he said.
3D chicks represent young people. (Photo: Suwitcha Chaiyong)
Uninspired by Current Events was established in 2020 after the Covid-19 pandemic hit Thailand. Saratta felt so hopeless about the Covid-19 situation in Thailand that he gave up reading the news on social media. After a while, he decided to turn the crisis into an opportunity by launching Uninspired by Current Events and posting one image every day to reflect the latest social or political issues in Thailand.
Saratta has been interested in news since he was a university student minoring in journalism.
"When I studied visual communications in university, I realised that I was good at telling stories through visual images. Since my minor was journalism, I understood the importance of news updates. In today's digital age, it is difficult to avoid seeing news on social media. Now, I work on social platforms. Before I create a post, I usually go through social media to find out what is the hottest issue of the day. My posts do not have long descriptions, so it is important to pick an issue that most people are discussing," he said.
Many posts on Uninspired by Current Events criticise the government, but Saratta has never been threatened by authorities like some other artists.
"I try to create work that does not attack anyone specifically. My work will not trouble anyone or cause anyone to be fired. My posts focus on an issue, not a person," he explained.
On a day when there is no controversial issue, Saratta said he still comes up with an image to post.
"I think it is more interesting than a day with a controversial issue because, in the end, I have to find an issue and post. Even if there is no big news, there is always news," he said.
This year was a good one for Saratta. He participated in many exhibitions and released a book titled Uninspired By Current Events: Sorry Stories. In future, he hopes to have the opportunity to create a game or an animation.
"I hope to work on animation because I want to know, if I have more time to tell a story, what kind of content and details would I add? I learned from 'Comfort Objects' that viewers rarely understand the content if they see it as still images. They have to see the movements of the chicks and the objects that drop on them," said Saratta.
Even though Uninspired by Current Events has a lot of followers, Saratta does not expect his page to cause any change.
"I do not have any expectations because my page is like a little drop in an ocean. I am not in a position to make a huge impact. If I don't have expectations, I won't be let down. It is more like a space to let people discuss issues. Also, it is something I work on during my free time which helps me to feel worthwhile," said Saratta.
"Comfort Objects" runs at Gallery Ver, Narathiwat Ratchanakarin 22, until Dec 25. Admission is free. For more information, visit facebook.com/galleryver.
