HELD ANNUALLY FOR THE THIRD CONSECUTIVE YEAR, BANGKOK THROUGH POSTER, INVITES CREATORS TO SUBMIT THEIR WORKS AND EXPRESS THEIR VIEWS ON DIFFERENT SOCIAL ISSUES USING A POSTER AS THE MEDIUM. AND THIS YEAR’S TOPIC, POSTER OF THE PEOPLE, BY THE PEOPLE, FOR THE PEOPLE, IS NOTHING BUT INTENSE
TEXT & PHOTO: SUTEE NAKARAKORNKUL
(For Thai, press here)
Held annually for the third consecutive year, the exhibition, Bangkok Through Poster, invites creators from various creative disciplines to submit their works and express their views on different social issues using a poster as the medium. And this year’s topic, POSTER OF THE PEOPLE, BY THE PEOPLE, FOR THE PEOPLE, is nothing but intense.
The works that made it to the final cut are put together into the exhibition at Kinjai Contemporary, a gallery in Bangkok’s Bang Phlat neighborhood, and the project’s organizer. After observing the posters’ varying design aesthetics from heavily graphic-design pieces by veteran and budding graphic designers, we also came across techniques such as collages, photography and typography, including the data visualization by the ELECT and Punch Up team.
First and foremost, it should be clarified that Bangkok Through Poster has always been a politically driven exhibition since its very genesis in 2018, which debuted with the open ended question of ‘What is your Bangkok?’ as the topic. After the show was over, the posters have made their way to public spaces around Bangkok, causing quite a stir from how the entire operation was executed like a guerrilla force.
It is undeniable that creativity and politics have always been inseparable, simply because creative work is a ‘way’ people use to send messages, meanings and even express ideologies. Indeed, we cannot define or end the discussion within the limited space of this article. But one of the movements that we’ve seen this past year, which while we cannot pinpoint whether it’s creative expression, is definitely intriguing to witness. Those who have been following the news would probably remember seeing viral images of students raising pieces of white, blank papers as a symbolic and peaceful expression. The phenomenon has found its way to schools across Thailand, especially during August of this year. And it seems that the majority of the posters submitted to this year’s Bangkok Through Poster picked up this rising social phenomenon as their design ingredient.
The curatorial program takes viewers up to the four-story space of the gallery. Some of the works are familiar pieces with techniques and design characteristics we’ve seen circulating on social media. Many of the designs are obviously inspired by the current Internet memes from white pigeons, yellow ducks, the military, the government, the revolution peg, lotto, COVID-19, gender inequality, protests, public transportation, labor, the people, etc. and they are all meaningfully and thoughtfully included in various elements of the designs. The top floor houses the space for the exhibition by the Museum of the Commoners, which features the story of people’s fights for democracy by displaying activists’ personal belongings, and various types of publications, turning the gallery into what feels like a small political assembly.
Like or dislike, agree or disagree, there are issues from the exhibition that can be further discussed. It remains to be seen where else in Bangkok the posters will end up and whether and to what extent they will possess the power to deliver the intended messages.
Bangkok Through Poster will be showcased at Kinjai Contemporary on December 12th – 27th, 2020, before all the posters will find their way to public spaces throughout Bangkok. Unless there’s a change of plan, the exhibition will rerun as a part of Bangkok Design Week 2021.