CULTURE SPHERE

CULTURE SPHERE
Art and culture reduced to a political game
Members of political parties are now so busy.

Published on December 15, 2007


As next Sunday's election approaches, they're campaigning at full bore. Although many parties share the same policies on the economy, energy renewal and better social welfare, their campaigns seem like daydreams.

While campaigning, politicians listen to the people and then say what they can do for us right now. They never waste any time making promises. Anyone who knows how to play politics with politicians knows how to get benefits back. But playing the politics game may not guarantee success for every project.

One example is the controversial case of merging the Thailand Creative Design Centre (TCDC) with the National Discovery Museum Institute. The merger and relocation of the TCDC from the Emporium shopping complex to the new Jamjuree Building in the downtown Sam Yan area has been a hot issue for over two months. The protests - both in actual demonstrations and criticism on websites - lays the blame with the Office of Knowledge Management and Development (OKMD) under the PM's Office. Minister Dhipavadee Meksawan was assigned to check the bill for this centre, founded by the former Thaksin government.

The People Power and Democrat parties have taken up this issue, based on the complaints of disappointed designers and staff of the two organisations as well as of the shopping mall.

It's no surprise that PPP keeps promising to keep the TCDC at the same venue, as this centre is the brainchild of the disbanded Thai Rak Thai party - which now has a new name: PPP.

In the meantime, the Democrats last month spoke to TCDC staff and said that the party would ask the current government to re-think the move and the merger and also hold a public hearing.

The PPP, Democrats and TCDC supporters are now playing a game. However, there's no guarantee that the TCDC will be allowed to stay at the same venue, or that the PPP or Democrats will win the election.

Political manoeuvring over the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre, which will open next March, is another good case study. The wrangling over Thailand's first ever art centre has been going on for over a decade.

Located at the Pathumwan intersection opposite Siam Discovery Centre, the first city art centre has a long history involving three Bangkok governors. The project was initiated in 1996 when Bhichit Rattana was governor. The project received great support from Kraisak Chonhavan, Bhichit's adviser at the time. A group of artists and academics proposed building the arts centre but no construction contract was signed during Bhichit's term.

This procedural lapse allowed the next governor, Samak Sundaravej, to claim that the BMA did not have the available funds to build the Bt300 million centre - an amount that was to pay only for the building itself. He cancelled the project, citing corruption and a lack of transparency.

During Samak's four-year term, artist groups fought a losing battle to get the centre back on track. The fight between the government and artists is about saving the winning design - by Robert G Boughey & Associates - and giving the capital a cultural epicentre, instead of turning the land into a car park or another shopping mall. The artists were winning this game until Samak left his position.

The art advocates' well-organised move to secure a public commitment from Bangkok gubernatorial candidates is a rare phenomenon locally, although such campaigns are common in other countries.

Despite sharing common interests, members of different sectors of Thai society rarely unite to confront election candidates with their demands. Targeting the Democrat Party's Apirak Kosayodhin, the civil movement finally forced Apirak to finish the art centre.

Although governor Apirak recently confirmed that the centre will be finished in his term next year, the administration and funding of the centre are now the big issues. Critics say that the centre's soft launch on November 30 was part of the Democrat Party's election campaign, using the Democrat governor to bolster their position.

Both politicians and experienced artists who have been involved in such issues know that the campaign period is the best time for bargaining. And both sides know that promises are often forgotten.

The present political scenario and the post-coup environment have inspired a group of artists to vent their feelings through provocative art works. There are now two art exhibitions dealing with the current political situation, focussing specifically on corrupt politicians and post-coup democracy.

"Art of Corruption", featuring exhibits by dozens of artists, performers and designers, is now on at the Contemporary Art and Culture gallery at TPI Tower on Narathiwat Rajnakharin Road.

Meanwhile, painter Somsak Raksuwan satirises the political scene with his controversial exhibition, "Political Monsters", on display at Jamjuree Art Gallery on Rama I Road.

Artists, designers or politicians: who will win this game?

Is the game a workable strategy to get the TCDC and Bangkok Art and Culture Centre on the right track?

Both centres are designed for the public and have been funded through our taxes, so they should benefit the general public - not only groups of artists, designers and politicians.

Phatarawadee Phataranawik

The Nation