By Pichet Klunchun
Exhibition period 14 August – 31 October, 2023
Official Opening on Saturday 26 August 2023 at 2pm
at 31st Century Museum of Contemporary Spirit (Office)
100/6 Moo 10 Soi Wat-Umong, Suthep Road, Amphoe Muang, Chiangmai 50200
ATTA Gallery is pleased to invite you to “The Observer is the Observed”, the fourth exhibition in Self Enquiry project by Kamin Lertchaiprasert in collaboration with ATTA Gallery. The exhibition is held at 31st Century Museum of Contemporary Spirit (office) in Chiangmai.
This exhibition presents new work “The Observer is the Observed” (2023), a VDO installation of the life-performance by Pichet Klunchun and Kamin Lertchaiprasert, along with Kamin’s previous works from “Kor Aoey Kor Kai” (1991) and “No Past, No Present, No Future” (2015) series that will convey and question the boundaries of identity, through deconstructing the meaning of contemporary Thai art and culture, as well as, the meaning of identity itself.
The official opening of the exhibition will be held on Saturday, August 26, 2023 at 2pm in the form of a conversation (in Thai) titled “Aesthetics Beyond Identity” with Professor Dr. Apinan Poshyananda (curator) and Pichet Klunchun (contemporary Thai dancer and choreographer) and will be moderated by Kamin Lertchaiprasert. We invite you to view the exhibition following the conversation until 5pm.
The exhibition runs from August 14 – October 31, 2023 (Saturday-Tuesday, 1-5 pm) at 31st Century Museum of Contemporary Spirit (office), 100/6 Moo 10 Soi Wat-Umong, Suthep Road, Amphoe Muang, Chiangmai 50200.
Aesthetics Beyond Identity
The observer is the observed
Identity does not exist.
Because it is the sense of self that emerges from thoughts
And the attachment to memories of the past,
Which are imprinted in the mind through repeated actions.
Thoughts create the notion of time, be it past, present, or future.
The past is bygone, and the future is yet to come.
The present is but an illusion; it does not truly exist.
Because, in every moment, time passes by like the ever-flowing wind and river.
It never stands still.
The present moment is merely a word,
A morpheme invented to communicate the meaning of
Past experiences that took place split seconds ago.
If the present moment truly exists and remains unchanged,
The sense of self will also remain fixed and stunted, but
The present moment exists in an illusion, perpetually changing.
The sense of self, therefore, is also an illusion that continues to change.
Since our selves are not our own,
We are thus unable to control our sickness and death.
We are attached to the belief that our selves belong only to us
Because we think we possess the body, emotions, feelings, and thoughts.
Thought marks the beginning of one’s identity and the universe.
It creates a plane of time in the mind.
This psychological time then results in experiences.
Experiences, in turn, create memories,
which lead us to become attached to our sense of self.
Time is matter in motion, moving from one point to another.
And movement is energy.
When thoughts stop,
Our psychological time also comes to a halt.
Our attachment to the past, and our worries about the future suddenly cease.
The observation of material phenomena,
Of the endless cycle of emergence, existence, and extinction,
Reveals to us of the change that never changes.
When we understand this truth, we will realize that
Emptiness is the true essence of being,
And we return to the source of natural energy.
In this timeless moment of here and now,
The observer is the observed.
Kamin Lertchaiprasert
2 April 2023
*****
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About ATTA Gallery
Founded in 2010, ATTA Gallery is the first gallery in Thailand to specialize in Contemporary Art Jewelry.
In 2022, ATTA Gallery has broadened its scope to offer a variety of distinctive contemporary art, craft and design, with a special interest in materiality of art, made by local and international creators. Curatorial program at ATTA Gallery aims to create dialogues between different types of contemporary art, craft and design objects exhibiting together in exhibition settings, dialogues between local and international artists, as well as dialogues between the viewers and the pieces shown. ATTA Gallery assists visitors to the gallery in connecting with collectible pieces of contemporary art, craft and design that are expressive of their unique identities so that they can add them to their houses and make their home environments reflective of how individualistic they and their lifestyles truly are.