Art adds another dimension to Fat

Art adds another dimension to Fat

With support by the Culture Ministry's Office of Contemporary Art and Culture and the soon-to-open Bangkok Metropolitan Art Centre, the art zone at this year's Fat Festival is located in the centre of it all, featuring 11 projects, including sculptures, interactive multimedia installations and video arts.

Published on November 9, 2007

"Fat Fest has a lot of energy," says multimedia artist Wit Pimkarnjanapong, who designed the festival's layout and is in charge of the art section. "Fat audiences love music and alternative art forms, and I think this festival create momentum for change in the Thai art circle, which is actually quite narrow, focusing on 'fine art'. Here you can see graphic design, sound installations, video art and other interactive art projects."

The giant metal installation "Yak Wat Jang: Delay Deloey" by Wit will again highlight the art zone. Wit's hand-operated message billboard will also be back. If people have a message they need to send to their friends at the festival, they can call the festival's call centre, and then a team will scramble to put it up on the billboard for all to see. It's an exercise to get people to think about whether instant messaging via mobile-phone text messages is such a good thing.

Wit also again teams up with lighting designer Jiro Endo to create the "Overhead Night Club". Inspired by the local club scene, the artists have created an installation where dancers can insert their heads to view a colourful light-and-sound display.

Outspoken artist Vasan Sithiket brings his "Artist Party" political performance piece to the festival.

Navin Rawanchaikul presents his ongoing installation that features his and the portraits of other people who are also named Navin from around the world. It includes his 11-minute-short film, "Navin of Bollywood", which captures Navin in India, looking for other Navins.

Udom Taepanich turns his junk into huge sculptures.

For interactive art project "Standing Point", cartoonist Wisit Pornnimit invites festival-goers to pose against the backdrop of his popular animations projecting on the wall. Wisit's Japanese friend, photographer Kayo Ume will capture the scene.

Japanese band Kiiiiiii returns the festival with the Japanese-house installation, filled with the band's stuff like clothes, bags and household goods.

Graphic "vectors" appearing on websites and underground magazines by a group of 50 graphic designers will be blow up onto a giant billboard.

On the ground, festival-goers can seek out Bangkok's landmark by walking onto a giant print-outs of the city from Google Earth. On the map, the model of The Metropolitan Art and Culture which is now building in Pathumwan will be the new city landmark.

If you are so hungry, visit Pornthaweesak Rimsakul's art project, "human-slot-machine". Here you can buy Mama noodles, Pepsi or even T-shirts from the machines, which are actually people in transparent boxes, selling things.

And, if you missed the short-films programme at this year's World Film Festival of Bangkok, there will be a chance to view the 30 shorts at the Fat Festival.

Phatarawadee Phataranawik

The Nation