Art Will Save Us All
Not like you needed saving
I overheard a cop once say to another cop “What is he in here for?” and the other cop said “Graffiti” and the cop replied “Who still does graffiti?” I couldn’t help but think that if this cop doesn’t think people still do graffiti, he’s pretty much tapped out on art or pop culture. I wouldn’t doubt that he’s glued to his phone once the day is over. After work, he probably comes home, eats an unbalanced meal, and falls asleep without brushing his teeth. I bet he hasn’t picked up a book in years, spoils the bed, and dies. This is what I think of people who don’t let art into their lives.
It made me realize that the common folk aren’t necessarily out of touch, but out of the loop. These people in which I don’t associate with, I wonder what they do on a daily basis. I’m not sure if they want to be part of a society that is exciting and colorful. When I am out on a Wear Many Hats World Tour, I want to get a sense of what people think of Americans and it’s not looking too good. It really is only California, New York and the rest of the states but I couldn’t agree more by the universal thought of owning a home now is so expensive. Who wants to own a house in the suburbs? I would rather invest in experiences and travel fruitfully to fulfill what I’m/you’re looking for.
On opening day, I went to Dib in Bangkok, Thailand and was excited to learn that a few of the artists were present to do an Artist Talk, in part of the exhibition, Invisible Presence. I could see that the staff was busy with first day operations but gathered the fact that museum goers collectively found this place on social media. This was exciting for Bangkok because it was a contemporary art museum delivered at a large scale. I learned that Dib was owned by legendary Thai singer, Petch Osathanugrah, now ran by top art collector, as well as his son, Purat ‘Chang’ Osathanugrah. As soon as you enter, attendees were lit up immediately upon seeing Sho Shibuya’s Sunrise from a Small Window on a monumental scale. It was also nice to see people with their friends hanging out by the café asking strangers to take pictures in front of Alicja Kwade’s Pars pro Toto.
James Turrell’s Straight Up was his first major structure debut at Dib Bangkok and it reminded me of a conversation with someone who was obsessed with Turrell but did not care about the time I visited the House of Light in Niigata, Japan. While he was rambling on, I was still surprised that he did not acknowledging my epic stay at a Turrell house so I walked away as he spoke. This is me being straight up and moving on.
While walking around three floors of Dib, people were taking photos in front of artworks, striking a pose, feeling as if they created it. It felt like the piece was something they could resonate with. Lights and movement from a few of the artworks that looked good for social media. It’s all starting to blend in whether people who take photos in front of art are influencers, inspiring influencers, art lovers, a memory, or a nice way to update your dating profile.
As soon as I went through the museum, I ended up out on the terrace where Straight Up is along with other pieces. I enjoyed the sun and noticed that coming alone is zen but you do need a friend to take your pictures as one of my new Thai friends said to me the night before on a rooftop night market where Matsar would vend. I found some new Instagram friends who would take photos of me in exchange for taking photos of them. Harmless, wholesome, and people love this type of kindness. When I have someone taking my camera to take a point and shoot of me, I know that 99.9% of the time if will turn out just fine. I have faith in humanity that if you put in a little care in something, everything will work out in the end.
I ran into a pair of strangers on the final stretches of the exhibition and asked what their favorite part of Dib was? They mentioned a piece I wasn’t familiar with and it was a video. I told them I did not see a video and they said you have to go back, it meant all the difference. I went back and found it tucked away on the second floor. Emerald by Apichatpong Weerasethakul, a Thai film director and screenwriter where he created an 11min documentary on the struggle and healing in the Buddhist World.
It too was my favorite piece in the exhibition. 11mins of stillness, reading subtitles, felt like meditating. It brought me back to a sense of clarity and calm. Realizing days ago I was just hiking in Nepal.
I wonder what would happen next on this trip. Just follow what you consider is “art” when being alone, lost in translation style, and you’ll be just fine. Until you won’t and then consider your nights like The Hangover.
What you would consider art:
Clubs, those damn lasers
Music, Karaoke counts. Asians love their cover songs
Mural crawl. Every Chinatown you go to has murals. Shen Yun not included
No shame in Reddit. Reddit is your friend, following Reddit posts is an art
Photography, videography, do I have to say more?
Sports events. I met so many people going to fight nights and it’s a thrill
Café crawl. I met locals who loved showing me their favorite shops
Temples, sacred spaces, architecture. Things you would never see at home
Of course, museums and galleries
Whatever you think is art, go for it
On the first leg of the Bangkok trip, I was at Karo Coffee outside eating an egg sandwich, drinking an Americano and looking for something to do that day. I googled art museum in Bangkok and brought me to the website of Bangkok Art & Culture Centre which was hosting the Bangkok Art Book Fair. Lucky me since I attend art book fairs back in NYC, this happened to be the last day. I finished my sandwich and took a Grab up. I’ve been to the culture centre on my last Thailand trip to get stationary but never looked at art. As soon as I got there, it felt like a piece of home.
I managed to see international vendors that I’ve come across in passing such as Process Magazine from Kuala Lumpur and would always read their magazines at Peep Coffee in Bangsar, Malaysia. I then came across a book designed by Sojanggak called Salamat Datang Welcome: Typographic Streetscapes in Malaysia published by Huruf and knew exactly who I would get it for but also it’s up our alley (I’m Malaysian American and always hyped on Malay things). I was mindful on how much I could bring back with me but realized I spent 3 hours at the Book Fair. After that I went to the matcha / tea festival at centralwOrld and that was something else. Next up is a crash course on going viral.
So next time you need saving from boredom, think about what you like to do and if it associates itself with art.
I need other forms of saving though.
What a brilliant reframe on art as basicaly a survival tool. The observation about people being out of the loop rather than out of touch cuts deep because it's about curiosity more than access. I've noticed how karaoke bars in particular end up being these unexpected spaces where people stop performing their normal life for a sec and just exist in the moment. This piece makes me rethink how we categorize "legitimate"art versus everyday creative acts.