“Why is the River Laughing?” is a dive into urban histories, communities, and ecologies, to explore the importance of local waterways in the Bangkok old town area. The project includes Exhibition, Workshop, and Performance programs, with local and international artists, researchers, students, community members, and public participants. The project is based at the historic So Heng Tai, a 240-year-old Chinese Mansion in the heart of Talat Noi. The mansion becomes a strange klong (canal), with its swimming pool in the center courtyard, an old wooden boat for cooking noodle soup, performers with mobile sculpture, sound and video art, workshops, and street actions in the surrounding neighborhood. EXHIBITION – Artists and researchers from Lost Klong Collective develop the project as a live studio environment. Envisioned as a research residency or creative development lab, the project changes and evolves over the 9-day period of BKKDW. The Exhibition includes the traces of other programs – running parallel with Workshops and Performances, and as a creative HQ for street actions and open discussions. 50 THB entry (incl. drink) [See Exhibition and Workshop programs for separate pricing] Café/bar open for further refreshments, and noodle soup from the boat For more details on the artists, and other programs, see – Website: michaelhornblow.com/whyistheriverlaughing Social: facebook.com/100088814213691 Contact: whyistheriverlaughing@gmail.com Artists – Michael Hornblow, Stephen Loo, Sineenadh Keitprapai, Annmanee Singhanart, Marnie Badham, Ploy Kasama Yamtree, Teerawat Mulvilai, Jean-David Caillouët, Gabriel Camelin, Dey'n Ray, Al Caudullo, Dey'n Ray Kindly supported by The Center for Philosophical Technologies at Arizona State University, University of New South Wales, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, the School of Global Studies and the Faculty of Fine Arts at Thammasat University. Thanks also to Bangkok International Performing Arts Meeting, So Heng Tai Mansion, and community collaborators in Sampeng, Talat Noi, and Nang Loeng.