Four contemporary artists unveil what lies beneath craftsmanship during "Weaving Matter And Memory", which is running at Bangkok Kunsthalle until July 5.
Craftsmanship, in both art and luxury, is a language shaped by the mastery of many hands and of techniques passed down over generations. Bridging hand and heart across cultures, the practice of weaving has long symbolised the interlacing of separate elements into a strong and harmonious whole.
When considered as both a technique and a structure of thought, weaving binds distinct elements tightly together until their assembly creates a more resilient and expressive whole.
This exhibition gradually unfolds through artworks by Jakkai Siributr, Imhathai Wattanasilp, Suppawich Weesapen and Teerapon Sisung. Their practices interpret weaving in both physical and conceptual forms to explore the relationships between matter and memory.
Jakkai tells stories through five large-scale textile works created from donated used garments that he carefully deconstructed and reassembled into expansive textile pieces. With the donated materials having a previous life, these large textiles become repositories of shared human experiences, embedding personal histories within their fabric.
Supawich presents a sculpture that acts as the point of connection between humans and the universe of digital data. He creates the image of the "thumb", which defines the interface of our time, in a state of being pulled into a black hole of big data.
Inspired by devastating bushfires and air pollution, Imhathai transforms human hair into small-scale sculptures to question social norms and environmental conditions. Teerapon, meanwhile, presents three-dimensional Thai artworks at the intersection between "sacred forms" and "structures in the process of unravelling", using the intricate technique of metal weaving.
Each of the works does not aim to present perfection, but rather reveals traces of time, labour and process, which gradually shape meaning in the act of making.
Bangkok Kunsthalle is on Maitri Chit Road and opens Wednesday to Sunday from 2pm to 8pm.
