Image courtesy of Manit Sriwanichpoom ‘PINK MARS,’ MANIT SRIWANICHPOOM’S LATEST SOLO EXHIBITION, TAKES US ON A JOURNEY INTO THE HYPER-CONSUMERISM UNIVERSE ON MARS THROUGH AN AI VERSION OF PINK MAN
TEXT: TUNYAPORN HONGTONG
PHOTO CREDIT AS NOTED
(For Thai, press here)
For those who’ve known Pink Man since his early days, there might be a slight double take when they hear younger generations describe him as a ‘legendary photo icon of the ’90s’—a decade that, for late millennials, is practically prehistoric. But the middle-aged man in the shocking pink suit has, truthfully, been around for quite a while. Born into public consciousness back in 1997, he’s trudged through the decades alongside the country’s shifting social landscapes and changing times. Then, in 2018, artist Manit Sriwanichpoom made the decision to lay Pink Man to rest, staging his symbolic death in a pink body bag in the heart of New York City in ‘The Last Man and the End of His Story (2018)’. But then came ‘Pink, Black & Blue’, Manit’s 2023 solo show, where Pink Man reappears, posthumously, in a pair of works titled ‘After Life So Pink’ and ‘Heavenly Pink,’ reintroducing the character in the afterlife, still orbiting the same hyper-consumerist absurdity.
Photo: Ketsiree Wongwan
Image courtesy of Manit Sriwanichpoom
In these two pieces, where Pink Man ascends to the heavens, lies one revelation: though Pink Man may be dead, his story doesn’t necessarily end there. Where he’ll turn up next, though, is anyone’s guess. That is, until this year’s Pink MARS exhibition at Kathmandu Photo Gallery, where we learn he’s gone truly cosmic. Pink Man, it seems, has made it all the way to Mars.
Photo: Ketsiree Wongwan
Photo: Ketsiree Wongwan
The concept for Pink MARS was born from a scenario in which Donald Trump returns for a second term as President of the United States. The staunch nationalist, committed to restoring American wealth and dismissive of climate change, reenters office with Elon Musk at his side. Musk, the billionaire founder of SpaceX, had been cheerfully aligned with Trump since the campaign trail. In the early days of Trump’s renewed presidency, Musk was appointed Senior Presidential Advisor and named head of the newly established Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE. (He has since stepped back from political involvement.) One ambition the two men share is a vision of American astronauts planting the U.S. flag on the surface of Mars.
Image courtesy of Manit Sriwanichpoom
Image courtesy of Manit Sriwanichpoom
But before that dream can materialize, Manit sends Pink Man ahead. Shedding his trademark suit for a shocking-pink spacesuit, Pink Man launches to Mars, beating them to it. This time, he doesn’t go alone. He arrives as an entire battalion, as if death has granted him the ability to multiply his cells with a copy-and-paste command. Scattered across the Martian landscape are rows of shopping carts, and alongside him are the Mini-Mes—Pink Man’s progeny, marching hand in hand to stake their claim on the Red Planet.
Photo: Ketsiree Wongwan
Photo: Ketsiree Wongwan
‘Pink MARS’ continues the saga of humanity’s unchecked consumerism—only this time, the ambition has rocketed into outer space. The work reads as a darkly comic response to the current moment, conceived by Manit with a sense of spontaneous, situation-specific improvisation. What sets this iteration apart from previous Pink Man works is the use of AI-generated imagery. In a way, that choice fits perfectly with Pink Man’s hollow fantasy. The technology’s limitless ability to fabricate images reflects this generation’s equally boundless desire to possess—to create and consume without limit.
Photo: Ketsiree Wongwan
That’s one way to think about it, at least. But when it comes to the experience of viewing the work, there’s something that feels undeniably missing. ‘Pink MARS’, like earlier Pink Man pieces, leans heavily on concept, but without Manit behind the camera, the aesthetic tension and visual allure that have long characterized his practice are noticeably absent. The same can be said for Sompong Tawee’s performance as Pink Man. In the past, he embodied the character so convincingly that one couldn’t help but recoil at the man in the pink suit. Now, without his facial expressions and haunted eyes in the frame, it’s hard not to miss him.
Photo: Ketsiree Wongwan
‘Pink MARS: A Generated Photo and Video’, an exhibition by Manit Sriwanichpoom and curated by Akkra Naktamna, is on view at Kathmandu Photo Gallery from May 3 to June 28, 2025.