Exhibition Dates: 25 August – 16 September 2018

Curator: Nawin Nuthong

Exhibiting Artists: Napat Vatanakuljaras, Jirapat Vatanakuljaras, Anon Chaisansook, Pimpimol Lertwongweerachai, Poom Nuthong & Akkarawin Krairiksh.

The Mystery Shack 999

The Mystery Shack 999 serves as a portal to other dimensions, blurring the boundaries between virtual and physical. The area in which reality and non-reality intersect. Drawing upon speculative past, present and future worlds, in the context of impending post-human, cyborg reality that our species is heading.

This is a space experiment. A curious fantasy. Like a haunted mansion, you dared your friends to enter as a kid or an uncle’s house filled with amulets and buffalo skulls or a museum displaying strange curiosities.

Within the Shack, there will be interactive components and games. Activities will include puzzles, a meditation circle, giving offerings, and a tarot trading card game. Referencing The Mystery Shack in the animated series Gravity Falls, The Mystery Shack 999 is an extension of the cartoon universe.

The Mystery Shack 999 will be exploring 3 overlapping components:
Spiritual – Exploring the non-polarity realms where science and spirituality may not opposed. A glimpse to the future of non-religious spirituality and how we, as a person and a part of the collective, make (multidimensional) sense with the world.
Matrix – The Mystery Shack 999 will be redefined and reinterpreted by each artist, creating their own overlaying cartology of the space.
Preposition – Reconstructing reality by questioning how we interpret seeing, hearing, feeling etc.

This exhibition is part of the Bangkok Biennial.

WHATEVER MAKES YOU SANE – Pimpimol Lertwongweerachai

ARTIST STATEMENT

Humans can not prove the existence or absence of God or the Creator. The reason is simply that we do not have the ‘capability’ to recognise and understand the mechanisms of the universe. Limitations that compel us not to perceive the universe in the body other than ourselves are ignorance by default. This limitation is a program of safety, according to the norms of existence. At the time of transition through the era of humanity. This program may be a threat rather than a benefit. Mental phenomena around the world get the same message. Have a similar mind the similarity of the narrative of the existence of God in different religions, areas and cultures.

The artist’s work is narrative narration and personal endeavours to understand the mechanisms of the universe. Trying to tell something beyond the perception that the artist perceives as an object, symbol, language, interpretation, and ‘ritual’, according to the limitations of the body. It is a light note. One of the brightest spots on the private path that connects the spots. On the path of otherness, both have the same point of view and guesses on other areas that can not be measured in the dark multimode universe. The commonality of spiritual beliefs in the new astronomical period differs in the narrative through intelligent interpretation and ignorance, as coincidentally as possible in the human body at this time.

UNTITLED (Blended Square) – Anon Chaisansook

ARTIST STATEMENT

This work is a collection of information on major changes in Thailand and this information is presented as a rectangular shape. Each time a change occurs a new shape is created. The accumulation of these 2-dimensional shapes creates a 3-dimensional form to be used as a physical memorial for these events.

This is done with an aim to create perfect square shape, a symbol of the creation of a new world. This invisible square hypothesising the shape of the new world.

For the observer, it may seem that Thailand does not have a defined plot but I feel there is an existence of one. I look at all the changes that have taken place with a goal to create the perfect shape. Each time they try to create a perfect world they secretly wish to see.

Initially, with this methodology, I had issues with the technical coding to create shapes. I was not able to find the beginning of the shape, and the intersection of the X and Y axis of each point to create the perfect rectangle. I considered changing my approach and starting again but I really still wanted to know what this perfect shape looked like. So I persevered with the information I had using logic to solve this problem.

By seeing the data of each change as the inner area of a square, I was able to proceed. To create a square requires a starting point and an area. The first intercept represented by x and y for day and month is the starting point of the square, and the year of the coup is represented as the total area of the shape. So the square root of the year gives the length of each side of the square.

For example, the 17th of November 1971, or rather the year 2514 in the Thai Buddhist calendar. √2514 = 50.1398, so each side of the square is 50.1398, with the starting point being (17,11).

I used this method to create a square shape over and over again, for every time the change takes place in Thailand.

FOR YOU – Jirapat Vatanakuljara

ARTIST STATEMENT

Today social media has become more significant as it is one of the most convenient channels or platforms for communication. The interaction between family, with an emphasis on parent-child relationships, are also influenced by social media. Conversational dialogue has been replaced by information and image, which have been thoroughly filtered by the sender. This information and images are repetitively produced infinitely.

The transformation of these objects of happiness, from the greeting card to digital imagery, shows the relation between the old and new mediums. The everlasting usage of image and greeting words, which have never changed despite the ever-changing generation of society.

NO LAND – Akkarawin Krairiksh

ARTIST STATEMENT

Outside the Mystery Shack, the RGB light from a movie scene from Gravity Falls refracts through a prism revealing the gap between truth and the supernatural. The illusion of the movie world is contracted by the architect’s hands and transfers the dream to a form of a photograph — the connection between the past and present — a representation in the virtual reality world.

MYSTERY MERCHANT – Poom Nuthong

ARTIST STATEMENT

Tarot + Chi Chi Sticks + Yu-Gi-Oh!

A guy who’s seems to know something, coming from another dimension trying to sell you your visualised fate?

PS. Just for fun

PS2. Who knows?

STORAGE, TAPAN-ESQUE, EXTERNAL – Napat Vatanakuljaras

ARTIST STATEMENT

Several years ago I created a work called ‘GOLDEN HEART’. Constructing a non-exist drug company and story by infiltrating the virtual world of Facebook.

Now at this exhibition, we are imagining the work that has been created with the eyes of the present, looking back and creating a new story from the original through writing in fiction. Though this imaginary space I am able to direct the reader further into this alternate reality, offering a new conclusion.

Transforming my old work through text and installation to creating a new dimension to the work, also changes the representation and meaning of the original work. The past is modified by the present.