More than 9,000 kilometers separate Paris and Bangkok, but in Thai artist Pratchaya Phinthong’s exhibition at GB Agency this space becomes mutable and symbolic, the link with which to explore economic and social issues plaguing Thailand and largely the world. Phinthong’s new solo show “Who will guard themselves?” conveys the excesses of a failing political system and how art can bring light to its human consequences.While movement has always been a central theme of Phinthong’s work, this earlier manifested itself as an interest in travel and cultural identity. Today, the artist’s work firmly addresses economic, social, and geopolitical issues, namely the Thai political crises.The exhibition starts with an image of a deserted 7-11 convenience store following a military coup in May 2014. The store is symbolic of the expansion of global commerce but in this context one can see the devastation of mundane daily life by the political situation.Phinthong goes on to manipulate the real and imagined space between Paris and Bangkok with the title piece of the show. “Who will guard themselves?” which takes what is thought to be iPad surveillance footage of the gallery and turns it on its head. Instead the viewer sees an 8/10 scale exact replica that the artist placed in the heart of Bangkok one year after the 2014 coup in a politically and socially sensitive area of the city. The replica highlights multiple layers of symbolism, from surveillance, to separation, to the role of art in public debate.Through a diverse collection of pieces including documents, exposed film, chili paste, found objects, and drawings, Phinthong continues to explore specific instances of Thai instability and it’s connections to Paris and the broader world.“Who will guard themselves?” by Pratchaya Phinthong is on view from May 28-July 18.
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