Samyan — Ideal Learning District with Legendary Delicacies
Samyan Ideal Learning District with Legendary Delicacies Step outside the university to learn about the new creative space steeped in everything creative, from community development pioneering projects to creative platforms that will put presented ideas into use in the future With the potentials of the ever-evolving old district with a transportation network connected from the railway systems, which helps promote the connectivity between Bangkok’s central business district encompassing Silom and Sathorn, district with multiple higher education institutions like Chula-Suan Luang, and districts in Thonburi, as well as a series of district development plans developed by the Office of Property Management, Chulalongkorn University (PMCU), most notably Samyan Mitrtown, a mixed-use shopping, office, residential and leisure complex that increases activities held and extends time spent in the district to almost 24 hours a day, it is no wonder that Time Out Group, a world-class media and entertainment business group, has ranked “Chula-Samyan” 16th out of top 40 coolest neighborhoods around the world in 2020 thanks to its perfect blend of local culture, food, and fun developed to drive local businesses, which act as the heart of the city, while reflecting the spirit of the original community. Besides being an area laden with educational institutions scattered throughout it and one of the important incubation districts, Samyan also takes pride in its having experimental space that allows students, designers, and the general public to try their hand at experimenting with their ideas from scratch, from CU ART 4C, the creative space of the Faculty of Fine and Applied Arts, Chulalongkorn University, that act as an art community that encourages students and those interested to learn how to live with the community and respond to its becoming an art city in the future, to The Shophouse 1527, a temporary experimental space where experiential exhibitions based on the collection and creative interpretation of narratives and data from the local people of the district rotate throughout a year. Outdoor courtyards and parks of the district have also been subject to spatial transformation, becoming its main used areas after the coronavirus outbreak and the subsequent rise of well-being concern, such as Chulalongkorn University Centenary Park — one of the prototypes in the development of green space for communities that not only features an environment suitable for relaxation, but also can comprehensively deal with natural problems in the future — featuring a retention pond created by depressing one side of the garden area below the grade resulting in its other side elevated and culminating in the inclined plane, along which flows rainwater into the pond. Its building complex is housed under the elevated side for organizing events and exhibitions in the future. Its garden is divided into five zones, each corresponding to the morphology of its respective area, which is considered a pilot example that can be further developed and emulated to other areas of the city. What’s Worth Visiting in the District? Transportation Network Throughout the District: Besides the main road network, National Stadium BTS station, and Samyan MRT station, there also is the MRT Blue Line Extension project, Hua Lamphong – Bang Khae and Bang Sue – Tha Phra in the district, which allows people in Thonburi to more easily access Hua Lamphong, Sam Yan, and Silom area, making it a district with ubiquitous connectivity; Legendary Delicacies: With many famous restaurants’ first branch opened here, Samyan has become a district teeming with not only authentic traditional delicacies but also, thanks to newer generations succeeding their family businesses, novel delicacies that are highly creative while accentuating the prominent features of the original ones. Besides, the mixed-use projects in the district also house modern restaurants with changing environments and designs appealing to a diverse range of customers that allow for optimized all-day space utilization; Old Shophouses Reintroduced with New Functions: As the district has become a new-age educational district in accordance with Chulalongkorn University’s area development master plan, buildings once unique to Samyan in the past have been reimagined into buildings with cutting-edge designs to serve as venues for learning and presenting creative works, while unused shophouses have been remodeled into commercial buildings; Business-Conducive Art Space: Starting with the intention of young entrepreneurs and creators to contribute to driving the district and the creative economy to the next level, many art spaces have emerged, most prominently Yelo house at Soi Kasemsan 1, a bright yellow warehouse-turned-art community where art events rotate throughout the year, which acts as a door leading to other areas within the district, and Reno Hotel, a hotel for art-conscious guests renovated from a building erected the 1960s with its first floor housing a café and a shop selling works from creative entrepreneurs.
Charoenkrung - Songwad — The Older, The Doper
Bangkok’s first “Creative District” prototype that takes pride in its gathering of brainchildren conceived by the joint development of the traditional entrepreneurs in the area with an aim of driving the district into a truly creative district Over the years, CEA has been joining forces with the people in the district as well as public and private sectors in developing the historic district into a “creative district” prototype, the central hub that integrates the continued prosperity of the old community sitting along the Chao Phraya River made up of an exuberant spectrum of races and beliefs with the strong connection within the family-run businesses that have been handed down for more than 4-5 generations. An old community sitting along the Chao Phraya River made up of an exuberant plethora of people that takes pride in being a junction where contemporaries meet histories, a one-of-a-kind destination whereto new generations flock to try their hand at experimenting with the alchemy between the old and the new, which brings about endless movements that never get old After many years of getting to know and understand the district through field trips, the Creative Economy Agency (CEA), along with its partners, has improved the physical attributes of the entire area through a wide variety of experimental projects to create new landscapes and images for its people and visitors to experience. The next step is to concretely develop and strengthen the potentials and possibilities of running creative businesses in the district, from the adjustment of the space of old buildings incorporating the original assets to facilitate contemporary functions and promote activities, such as Thailand’s first bank Siam Commercial Bank Talat Noi Branch; Bangrak Central Post Office as a creative incubator center; Old Customs House, a historic building to be renovated and remodeled in conjunction with the two newly constructed buildings on its both sides as one luxury hotel; over-100-years-old Haroon Mosque Community as a venue where rotating activities are organized in collaboration with various communities and groups, to the further development of alleyways that has been being developed since the first edition’s Co-Create Charoenkrung project that promoted the connectivity within the district, which has culminated in a wide range of ongoing activities, including Colour of Charoenkrung, where visitors explore the district by walking through its alleyways. Not only is the improved connectivity within the district considered its newly developed unique selling point, but it also attracts many private sectors to invest in opening up services in the district, from a plethora of shops, cafes, and boutique hotels, to a dozen of art galleries and creative spaces, such as Warehouse 30 and Central the Original Store, which takes visitors back to the starting point of the Central Group’s retail empire while allowing them to enjoy an exciting array of exhibitions and libraries range dedicated to business and retail. The growths — from assets as a kind of capital to develop building upon to necessary infrastructures — are part of the pioneering of the “Creative District” project, which contributes to the growth of communities and businesses in the district and the further development of traditional products and services into ones that physically appeal to the modern consumers, so that they can be sold or create more values. These examples are considered the starting point where Charoenkrung district started gradually transitioning from an old district to a creative district building on collaborations between public sectors, private sectors, creative personnel, and the local people in the communities, which culminates in the district’s image as a creative district becoming more prominent every year. What’s Worth Visiting in the District? Old Stories, New Narratives: The still living past is becoming the district’s valued capital that does not require huge investments through the advance on the public relations and perception front and the joint efforts to promote understanding from all sectors in the community, which, in the long run, greatly increases benefits and advantages in terms of building strength; Coming-to-Be Creative District Prototype: An extensive spectrum of products is developed building upon the understanding of the identity and traditional businesses of the district combining skills of older generations and creativity of younger generations within the framework of various product development projects, most notably the first and second edition’s Made in Charoenkrung, which opens up new directions for the further development of many works and generates income for entrepreneurs and communities; Robust Collaboration and Network of People within the Community: With an abundance of old buildings, mosques, and embassies, the district prides itself on its cultural diversity brought about by the symbiosis of people of different ways of life living together for over a century and united by joining hands to develop the district into a district where its identity can perfectly coexist with modernity. #CreativeDistrictofBKKDW #BangkokCityOfDesign
The making of PINIJ / Mindfulness Quarantine
PINIJ / Mindfulness Quarantine Collectible Design Thailand 02 By suMphat Gallery The word “Pinij” (as in Pinij Pijarana) refers to an act in which one is in the state of contemplation (Pinij), with all their senses and inner mind meticulously inspecting (Pijarana) something to see more than meets the eyes. “Pinij” is also the title of the second edition of the “Collectable Design Thailand” exhibition that showcases design and craft works — with the focus being placed on those small-quantity, high-quality, high-priced works — created by Thai artists and designers in many fields using a wide variety of techniques through the Art & Design Gallery business model, a model prevalent in Paris, London, New York, and Tokyo. The exhibition was initiated two years ago by Rush Pleansuk, an architect and product designer and the Designer of the Year 2019 in the Product Design category who is deeply convinced that this could be “another way out for Thai designers.” Pre-PINIJ The COVID-19 pandemic has led to people all over the world being incarcerated, locked up in their homes, despite its being contrary to their nature; human beings are all hardwired to crave traveling. To fulfill deep-seated instincts, even if people are unable to travel physically, they, nevertheless, struggle to travel under restrictions by traveling deep into their hearts, into their own memories. “Traveling is something that is deeply embedded in our chromosomes. We were once able to travel around, but now we had to refrain from doing so, ending up stuck in a place. However, not only do our bodies travel, our brains do travel as well,” said Rush. He then went on to explain that stepping outside to discover new destinations, which has been being on hold for years, has become the initiative of the design that invites everyone to explore the mind under the concept of “PINIJ.” In-PINIJ Rush said that, during the two-year hiatus since the first edition of the “Collectable Design Thailand” exhibition, he always followed the works of Thai designers, observing the continuity and development of each of them. And when the time for the second edition was drawing near, he started working on its preparation, starting off with summarizing the theme for the exhibition, contacting and discussing with each of the designers, making a list of interesting designers before narrowing it down to ten designers with different interest and expertise. “When we allow artists/designers to create their work, we can catch a glimpse of what is inside the mind of each of them; Their raw instincts, along with what they have been hiding deep inside, will manifest themselves when we let them create anything without any restrictions,” said Rush, recalling of his observations as the founder and curator of the exhibition and one of its exhibitors. PINIJ Artists-Designers Here are 10 design works that worked with the mind of their creator and audiences at the same time. “Ni” by June Sekino of Junsekino Architect in collaboration with woodworking expert Phitsanu Namsiriyothin that conveys about the space within the inner self through the pieces of Makha wood that make up the Buddha image; “so far – so close” by Pirada Seniwong Na Ayuthaya, jewelry designer at Trimode Studio, that conveys the feelings of being connected despite being incarcerated through the two vases of different sizes connected with a chain, a soldered workpiece by “Dek Vanz” (motorpunks); “TARA” by Wassana x Savin, a father-son bamboo master artisan duo from Chiang Mai who joined hands for the first time, that conveys the cycle of birth and death according to Buddhism through the bamboo handwoven mandala; “EYELIDS ON THE CITY” by Piyapong Phumichit, a graphic designer, that conveys the state of urban areas in Bangkok during the COVID-19 pandemic through the photography exhibition; Piyapong Phumichit compiled thousands of photos taken by Arun Puritat, a photographer who observed the urban areas of Bangkok during the pandemic, into the book of the same name before forwarding it to Thanapon Kaewpring, another photographer, to interpret and translate it into the exhibition; “Lose Track watch” by Krit Yensudjai, a fashion designer and design director of the Mae Fah Luang Foundation, that conveys the importance of the present moment through the watch with the square gold frame fixed on top; Krit Yensudjai, having noticed that more people turned to collecting things during the lockdown, sold his collection of watches to create the art piece; “SEA AND ME” by o-d-a, a product designer, in collaboration with Phitsanu Namsiriyothin, that conveys human’s longing for the sea as traveling is restricted through the mirror with the wooden frame made of wooden panels that were cut 10 years ago, which creates the feeling of standing in front of the sand and the sea, but reflects the image of one standing in front of it instead; “MUJO” by Rush Pleansuk that conveys the childhood happiness and unpossessable beauty through the wax-coated tin piece covered with glass molded to replicate realistic water ripples inspired by the water shimmer reflected into his Grandma’s Thai-style house in the rainy season that he deems as an unpossessable beauty like that time in life; “Time” by Sumanasaya Voharn, a lecturer with expertise in lacquerware at the Design Department, the Faculty of Fine Arts, Chiang Mai University, that conveys her understanding of her own time and self through the broken Sangkhalok lacquerware reassembled using Kintsugi technique; Chinese, Thai, and Japanese lacquer varnish were used as the adherent in the cracks between broken pieces due to the imperfection of local craftsmanship; “HAPPINESS | TIME” by Decha Atchananan of THINKK Studio that conveys the flow of feelings towards the unequal length of time through the set of toys with little balls rolling around, a brainchild conceived through the collaboration with a watchmaker that is challenging enough to keep players engaged for a long time; “No Smoke without Fire” by Wisharawish Akkarasantisook, a fashion designer of WISHARAWISH, that conveys the memories of the joy of sharing foods and eating together at a dinner table through 16 plates dotted with bright colors that represent playfulness, yet with gray colors blended in that reflect his anxiety. PINIJ-PIJARANA With the determination to support the creation of an Art & Design Gallery in Thailand, Rush Pleansuk has joined hands with SAC Gallery in planning on how to promote the exhibition and sales of these art and design works. “It was difficult at first. However, as soon as this mechanism can work on its own, without the need for monitoring, things will work out fine. It’s an experimental project that will support craft designers, enabling the products to be sold more, in case that art galleries start to take interest in it,” said Rush, confidently reiterating his intentions. “After having examined the craft works and read about the ideas of the creators behind them, I found that we all share good and bad experiences, and everyone can connect to one another because art is communication that has an emotional impact. These works reflect what happened to the minds of the artists as they tried to find ways out, provide alternatives not only for the bodies but also for the minds.” Find out more about Collectible Design Thailand at facebook.com/collect.thai #TheMakingOfBKKDW2021 #PINIJ #BKKDW2021 #BangkokDesignWeek
The Making of Stay Cool Pavilion
Stay Cool Pavilion By Nikken Sekkei Thailand (Lighting Designed by NULTY) “We combined the original material with the already-prototyped BIOSKIN ceramic tube technology; In other words, ceramic tubes were replaced with clay bricks, which is considered an adaptation to suit geography, climate, and living conditions in Thailand, both in terms of design and utilization.” Could you please introduce the idea behind the project for Bangkok Design Week 2021? We regard “Resurgence” as the restoration — or coming back — of things amid the global warming crisis, in particular Heat Island Effect that has been around for a long time yet to be solved. That’s why we chose this issue as the initiative of the project, looking for new possibilities as to what tools can help alleviate the heat island effect through the experimental selection of the already existing materials in the area. It might be a small, humble starting point of the change in ways of thinking or perspectives on things or products that already exist around us. Besides, the “Stay Cool Pavilion” draws inspiration from one of our many projects that have already happened — that is, the NFB Osaki Building (Sony City Osaki) in Tokyo, Japan. The façade of the building incorporates a system of ceramic tubes that allows rainwater to be circulated inside using power generated by solar panels. The pipes are made to be quite porous so that the rainwater, when flowing through them, evaporates off the surface of façade louvers, causing their temperatures to drop and returning moisture to the atmosphere and natural water cycle, which culminates in a small building in the city contributing to the alleviation of the surrounding heat island effect. With this in mind, we applied the concept to the upcoming event and pavilion, which helped us figure out the best solutions to the existing problems and create new possibilities in terms of utilization and experiences for the audiences. Where did you draw your inspiration from? The first is the heat island effect. Heat is something Thai people are well familiar with. Having seen this technology, we started looking for a potential alternative local material that has long been used in building constructions in Thailand since ancient times, especially in the Charoenkrung district. After a string of trial-and-error experiments, it was found that terracotta bricks met most of the requirements — that’s why they are widely used as a structural part of the historic buildings around the neighborhood. We then found a way to recontextualize the concept, incorporating the new system in another way than the original, to match and communicate with the area more. In summary, we combined the original material with the already-prototyped BIOSKIN ceramic tube technology; In other words, ceramic tubes were replaced with clay bricks, which is considered an adaptation to suit the geography, climate, and living conditions of Thailand in terms of design, utilization, and sustainability. Could you please explain your workflow, from choosing the location and selecting materials to installing the finished artwork? What is special about the location and materials? What are the challenges in the installation of the work? It was not easy because we started the experiment using terracotta tile, which, in many circumstances, did not perform that much of the structural, load-bearing functions, not to mention the fact that it was a limited material in terms of availability — that is, there were not as many tiles out there in the market to be purchased as needed, before settling for “terracotta brick” we used in making the pavilion, given its being considered a building material locally available in the country that could be reused and had properties similar to those of BIOSKIN ceramic pipe. It was also found that terracotta brick had been long and widely used in building constructions in Thailand since ancient times, and was commonly found used not only in the Charoenkrung district but also throughout Thailand. Despite our having settled for terracotta brick as the main material, there, nevertheless, was a string of trial-and-error experiments with a wide variety of bricks conducted along the way. We tried contacting local clay brick manufacturers in the district to sort out the problem concerning the availability of terracotta brick only to find there were limitations, from forming molds that did not meet size requirements, to insufficient manufacturing capacity. We then proceeded to contact other clay brick manufacturers that could provide sufficient materials, with the focus still being placed on domestic manufacturers as we wanted to support local manufacturers and materials as much as possible. In addition, in the early stage, we also experimented with bricks with lower firing temperatures, which were considered defective materials in terms of chemical reactions as the finished products were more porous and hold more water than usual, to make benefits out of the QC failed products. When we first contacted the manufacturers, we found that most of them would discard all these unqualified bricks or use them for landfilling. There was research into whether such materials could really be reused as it would help add value to the waste materials, and, if we chose the right way to use the materials, they might also allow for evaporation, helping regulate the temperatures and reducing the heat inside the building, given their being able to absorb water to some extent despite not being as porous as BIOSKIN ceramic pipes. On top of that, it would help restore the economy of the clay brick manufacturing communities in a way. In the design of the pavilion’s interior, we paid meticulous attention to even the smallest, seemingly meaningless points; In the early phase, there was an idea of its having one entry and exit point that was later discarded due to the consideration of the COVID-19 pandemic, which became one of the design conditions. To create a system that would allow for smooth visitor traffic flows, the design where entry and exit were separated was chosen. Apart from that, as for safety reasons, the pavilion was designed to be compact, open-aired, and well-ventilated, and there would be a limit to the number of visitors, which would contribute to reducing the risk of infections. Could you please summarize the specialty of this project? Firstly, it is in line with the concept of this year’s Bangkok Design Week. We try to communicate about BIOSKIN technology through the already existing local material — that is, clay brick, which will allow visitors to more or less experience how this technology can give visitors comfortable feelings through the pavilion. However, we are still not quite sure how much the outcomes would turn out according to the models that have proven to be working. Secondly, as already mentioned above, the technology will, hopefully, inspire everyone to be more concerned about the heat island effect and start looking for something at their fingertips to utilize them to maximum benefits to more or less reduce the heat island effect problems in the future. What do you expect audiences to take away from experiencing the work? The aim of “Stay Cool Pavilion” is to communicate and represent the approach to the design and the actual project through changing the perspectives on materials that have been long and widely used in the locality from the past to the present. With its building method and layout having been revamped to allow for greater flexibility and variation of use, this pavilion will serve as a public space that gives visitors comfortable air by giving moisture to the bricks and returning moisture to the atmosphere. We also expect that visitors will be able to perceive our approach through the design of the pavilion. What’s important is that visitors can understand our approach and apply it to further develop things around them as what we communicate is that we utilize materials commonly found around us, combining them with technology, which means visitors can also look for materials commonly found around them to utilize them to maximum benefits. #TheMakingOfBKKDW2021 #StayCoolPavillion #BKKDW2021 #BangkokDesignWeek
The Making of Bangkok Projection Mapping Competition 2021 (BPMC 2021)
Bangkok Projection Mapping Competition 2021 (BPMC 2021) “What’s so special about BPMC 2021 lies in its being the one and only projection mapping competition in Thailand, boasting a gathering of not only veterans well-versed in content creation and projection mapping, but also up-and-coming passionate newbies all in one place.” Could you please introduce the idea behind the project for Bangkok Design Week 2021? Bangkok Projection Mapping Competition was conceived by Yimsamer, a gathering of professionals working in the multimedia entertainment industry, so it’s not surprising that the competition embodies Yimsamer’s signature approach — T-Experience (Technology + Experience). In the event, there will be a wide variety of design works combining an extensive range of technologies, with the most notable one being the increasingly globally popular “Projection Mapping,” where projections will be cast upon architectural objects to recontextualize the district through the storytelling developed centering around the theme, making it more valuable. It all started when Yimsamer once had an opportunity to participate in a projection mapping competition abroad, and it was when the studio learned that its fellow studios in the industry won awards that it began to realize that there were no such works in Thailand, despite its having an extensive range of potential locations with architectural objects as well as people interested in this field, both in terms of community promotion and economic promotion. The studio, therefore, volunteered to take part in organizing this kind of event. Held in conjunction with BKKDW2020, last year’s Bangkok Projection Mapping Competition was, actually, a soft launch event where we invited people in the projection mapping circles to participate in the competition at “House No.1.” This year, thanks to the overwhelmingly positive feedback, we decided to elevate the event to the international level, which gave birth to the full-fledged Bangkok Projection Mapping Competition 2021, which, we dare to say, is the one and only projection mapping competition in Thailand. The theme of BPMC 2021 is “Wish” — honestly, it was designated as this year’s theme because we all hoped that the event would run smoothly despite the turbulent situation. And there will be three honorable guests joining the judging panel: Chanpen “Jib” Kulkaew, Phongphasakorn “Kob” Kultiratham, and Ruangrit “Ton” Santisuk, judging the projections cast upon the East Asiatic Building, Charoenkrung 40, Bangrak (opposite of Oriental Hotel). Where did you draw your inspiration from? Our inspiration stems from the current situation, like “If you were to make a wish through the East Asiatic Building, which will be serving as a canvas to cast the projections upon, what would it be?” This project has four main objectives: Firstly, to promote the culture, economy, and tourism of the community by bringing together a more diverse variety of community and provincial stakeholders; Secondly, to demonstrate to society the potentials of the new kind of media given that the technology has permeated all sectors, including general businesses and businesses related to art and design; Thirdly, to encourage international contestants to participate in the competition by disseminating information about the competition in projection mapping and motion graphic content groups — so this year it is guaranteed that there will be international contestants participating the competition; Fourth and lastly, to create a network of regional modern media producers — well, there may already be a network of media producers in the industry out there, but there are far too few of them that engage with the community in a way that drives its businesses. So, we would like to create a network so that all stakeholders in the community work more closely with one another. Could you please explain your workflow, from choosing the location and selecting materials to installing the finished artwork? What is special about the location and materials? What are the challenges in the installation of the work? The first challenge is space because just because we wanted to work on some locations doesn’t necessarily mean their owners would want to work with us. So, to get a site, like the East Asiatic Building, we had put lots of effort into creating plans so that the owner would see the benefits and agree on letting us use the location: Firstly, we gathered a list of sites that could meet our needs to give ourselves as many choices as possible; Secondly, we gave priority to Charoenkrung first as it is the main venue for many creative events before narrowing down to those most suitable locations in Charoenkrung as projection mapping is not just all about beautiful sites — it’s about surrounding elements as well, from projection distance to lights directed around the venue; Thirdly, now that we had selected East Asiatic Building as the site we began to work on the theme, brainstorming as to whether there were something that could meet the needs of the country given the situation this year, which, in a way, ensured that each team wouldn’t cause problems or negatively affect the society. Well, actually, there were challenges present in every step of the way, from event management to equipment installation. Could you please summarize the specialty of this project? Actually, we, Yimsamer, started off as a content creation studio, designing and creating multimedia materials, before gradually making our way up to where we’re here today. Our ideology has always been to create a network of multimedia content creators, and it was in 2020 that we began to build one so that one day we would pass it onto the next generation of multimedia content creators. We’ve only made just one step towards our goal, enabling us to join hands in collaborative projects with those in the network, which, of course, results in our getting more jobs in a more diverse range of fields, and being able to ensure those working with us will get more jobs in the future. However, for now we want to work on establishing the network first before extending to the national and, hopefully, international levels. We’ve been doing this for two years, from CSR activities where we invited artists to join and student workshops in collaboration with CEA, to the two editions of BPMC. At least, we’ve built this network, which will benefit everyone. It’s worth mentioning that this year’s competition will be held under the name of Bangkok Projection Mapping Competition 2021, and what’s so special about it lies in its being the one and only projection mapping competition in Thailand, boasting a gathering of not only veterans well-versed in content creation and projection mapping, but also up-and-coming passionate newbies all in one place, which will make evident that not only can projection mapping drive business sectors forward, but it also can create opportunities for people. What do you expect audiences to take away from experiencing the work? People in this industry will see the light at the end of the tunnel. We know that just because you win prize money doesn’t necessarily mean that your businesses’ success is guaranteed. However, this competition will, nevertheless, serve as another tool to help further grow your businesses and develop the industry. One thing we expect is that although there may not be many contestants participating in the competition given the current situation, they will work hard to make their works outstanding the most, and that will drive the development of the industry forward. Remarks: In the event, there will be AR Books for sale. Any visitor who has an AR Book can know the information of each team participating BPMC 2021, and, if interested in their works, contact them right in the event. #TheMakingOfBKKDW2021 #BPMC2021 #BKKDW2021 #BangkokDesignWeek
The Making of CARNIVAL
CARNIVAL By DESIGN AND OBJECTS ASSOCIATION (D&O) “As a group of designers and creators, we, the Design and Object Association (D&O), want this work to represent the coming back to the celebration of creativity to deliver a strong surge of excitement to audiences, leaving them feeling refreshed after a string of mouths of predicament, as well as to drive the creative community forward so that it can continue moving forward.” Could you please introduce the idea behind the project for Bangkok Design Week 2021? The COVID-19 crisis that we are facing now has led to the shift to the new normal lifestyle with its epitome being the troublesome Social Distancing. Starting from the initiative that, despite the need to keep our physical distance in our daily lives, there is no such need as to maintain our thinking/working distance from one another in the fields of design and creativity, and that, in such conditions, designers, and creators can continue to collaborate using their creativity, DESIGN AND OBJECTS ASSOCIATION (D&O) — a gathering of brand owners and business groups in various design industries, from furniture to fashion to ceramics — invited designers and creators from various brands in the association to join hands in creating design works that reflect the story of their designer and creator’s personality, with their concepts that can be interconnected together, which has culminated in CARNIVAL. The assemblable installation artwork consisting of eight circles represents the sense of coming together, all the while reflecting the current social conditions and the working relationship of the association. This work can, therefore, be regarded as an act of connecting various design concepts and techniques into the creation of works by designers in each field. Where did you draw your inspiration from? In addition to the concept of Social Distancing that this work was developed revolving around, we found that the uncertainty and unpredictability of social conditions and environments had made people feel bored and lost. Therefore, we, as designers, would like to use our creativity to deliver a strong surge of excitement to audiences through an installation artwork titled “CARNIVAL,” leaving them feeling refreshed again after a string of mouths of predicament when they could not celebrate nor socialize. In the making of the artwork, the team of designers was, indeed, unanimous in their view that it did feel like they were celebrating together with creativity. Could you please explain your workflow, from choosing the location and selecting materials to installing the finished artwork? What is special about the location and materials? What are the challenges in the installation of the work? With the association consisting of members from different brands in various industries, ranging from furniture to jewelry to fashion, the integration of such diverse designers and brands — not to mention with such diverse design techniques and working styles — was carried out revolving around the same theme all the while allowing each brand to express what they aspire to say through their unique design techniques and materials; Some of them may specialize in leatherwork, some in fabric work, some in metalwork, and so on. As the association opens up space for each brand to experiment as they wish, the challenges lie in the assembly of parts made using different techniques and materials as well as the interpretation of the work of each brand to make them feel harmonious and mutually complementary, as opposed to feeling alienated from one another, all the while reflecting their unique design, and, in turn, the work as a whole encapsulates the interconnection between design works. Could you please summarize the specialty of this project? CARNIVAL is an installation artwork that serves as an embodiment of diversity and distinctiveness in terms of design techniques and materials so unique and reflective of each brand that joins forces in the design and creation of this work. Through its components that can be assembled not only into the eight circles but also into other shapes, audiences can see the perspectives and concepts of connecting design works. What do you expect audiences to take away from experiencing the work? The association, along with our design team, expects results in many dimensions; Not only are our members designers, but they also run business companies that involve design and creativity, so everyone is hoping that the presentation of this work will provide business opportunities to them all the while giving a better understanding about design-based businesses to audiences, especially those aspiring to learn about design that is tangible and practical to apply to their real work with the aim of generating income and expanding businesses. #TheMakingOfBKKDW2021 #DandOCarnival #DesignAndObject #BKKDW2021 #BangkokDesignWeek