THE RETURN OF THE ‘HUMANS OF FLOWER MARKET’ IS HERE TO TELL US ABOUT HOW A FLOWER CAN BRING CHANGE TO PAK KHLONG MARKET WITH A TOUCH OF ITS OWN STYLE
TEXT: RATCHADAPORN HEMJINDA
PHOTO: SASAMON RATTANALANGKARN EXCEPT AS NOTED
(For Thai, press here)
Most people still perceive Pak Khlong Market as Bangkok’s biggest flower market even though the Bangkok Metropolitan’s reorganization of the space in 2559 would make people, mainly the locals, look back and question what Pak Khlong really is and if, one day, changes or unexpected incidents were to happen.
Photo: Buncha Lekkong
The exhibition’ Humans of Flower Market’ led by Assistant Professor Dr. Supitcha Tovivich, a professor from the Faculty of Architecture, Silpakorn University, revealed the physical, economic and social connection between different groups of people whose existences and roles complement and are dependent on each other within the space of the flower market. It extends to their views on what Pak Khlong really is as the market transitions amid gentrification and the government’s policies. At the time, the humans of Flower Market were projecting out their voices, letting outsiders know that Pak Khlong was more than just a flower market, but an ecosystem; a society with incredible significance to the existence and sentiments of a lot of people. Collaborative projects that ensue the exhibition are such as Flowerlab, an experimental flower project that invites locals and people outside of the community to get to know the cyber flower aunty, flowerhub.space, the website that contributes as an online platform to which the entire flower market has relocated, TEDx Pak Khlong, etc.
This year, between 25th September and 11th October, Pak Khlong Market came alive and flocked with flower lovers after the COVID-19 situation began to resolve. The force behind the flower market’s re-blooming is the collaborative attempt between the Faculty of Architecture, Silpakorn University (Arch SU), and the locals led by the Humans of Flower Market movement and young generation design collective, Splendour Solis. With the support from Thailand Science Research and Innovation (TSRI) and Local Capital Administrative and Management Unit, the National Charter and Rattanakosin Charter, the people behind this collaboration believe that the sense of place or identity of Pak Khlong and the humans of flower market are the spirits and colors that will forever keep Pak Klong alive!
Photo: Buncha Lekkong
Pak Klong Strike Back! is the reform that brought people into the area with missions designed to coincide with the new generation’s tastes and interests to stimulate people’s interest in the area as a tourist attraction and bring new users to experience the market’s unique ecosystem. The activity begins with a flower map, available for pick up at Sunflower Store on Atsadang Road. You will then be asked to complete the Flower Quiz on your smartphone as a little gimmick to provide the information about your favorite flower. The quest will begin as you set off to find your favorite flower hidden in shops and alleyways of the market using Flower Tracking: Hide and Seek in Flower Market, in which you can scan the provided QR Code to access interactive filters that allow you to see the empty spaces of the market filled with virtual flowers. The experience is designed using the AR (Augmented Reality) technology by the Splendour Solis team.
Photo: Buncha Lekkong
Apart from searching for flowers in the augmented reality, Pak Klong Strike Back! invites visitors to look for the humans of the flower market hidden throughout different parts of the market. This part of the activity is actually an exhibition by Sasamon Rattanalangkarn, featuring photographs that capture the humans of the flower market and their varying roles. The showcase is one of the main events of the activity for the very objective of Pak Klong Strike Back! It isn’t merely about creating greater awareness in what Pak Khlong really is as a flower market, but emphasizing the importance of ‘humans’ as the heart that propels the market’s future direction and existence.