ART4D JOINED THE Q&A ON DESIGN & ARCHITECTURE, AFTER THE SPECIAL SCREENING OF “HAPPY OLD YEAR” AT PARAGON CINEPLEX. HERE’S THE WRAP-UP
TEXT: PRATARN TEERATADA
MAIN IMAGE COURTESY OF JAMPA CHANG
PHOTO CREDIT AS NOTED
(For Thai, press here)
Not often does a Thai movie instigate further conversation in various fields, the same way its foreign counterparts usually do. GDH recently organised 4 Q&As after 4 screenings of “Happy Old Year”, on editing, casting, psychology and design & architecture. The last one’s panel included Piyapong Bhumichitra (Shake & Bake Studio), Pratarn Teeratada (art4d), Kelvin Wong (K Kelvin Studio) and the film’s director Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit.
Photo: Kelvin Wong
What we usually refer to as “minimal” is actually “minimalism” from the minimal art movement started by a group of American artists who used fewer colors and geometrical shapes to counter the excessiveness of such movements as abstract expressionism.
Photo: Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit
Minimalist architecture started to gain more attention in 1980s, especially in London and New York City. In architecture, interior design as well as product design, the emphasis is on simplicity. A minimalist house would have only necessary furniture and very few colors, frequently white or the natural colors of such materials as wood or concrete. Also important are the connection among different spaces and the lighting in which less can create more. Of course, it looks pleasant if we forget the fact that people also need to actually live there. That’s become a challenge for the interior designer who has to make it livelier, more welcome and cozier.
The conversation then led to the topic of spatial design. In discussion were how the director realised the image of each room in the main characters’ houses, choices of location like the male lead character’s mother’s ossuary as well as the female lead Gene’s interior design reference and architecture skin for the renovated house.
Photo: Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit
The most memorable image from the Q&A was the first slide with a quote from Raymond Carver: “It’s difficult to be simple”–perfectly fitting our discussion, both contextually and visually.