SUTEE KUNAVICHAYANONT PICKED A FORMED MAP OF THAILAND AS THE ARCHETYPE TO CREATE THE ARTWORKS WHICH DEPICT THE ALTERATION OF THAI POLITICAL HISTORY
TEXT: SURAWIT BOONJOO
PHOTO: PREECHA PATTARA
(For Thai, press here)
National borders are a modern construct that emerged with the delineation of various countries. However, in earlier times, the regions of Thailand and its neighboring countries shared a common culture without the divisions we see today. Instead, there were states, kingdoms, and various communities that fluidly intermingled, without the fixed boundaries that are familiar to us now.
Sutee Kunavichayanont
This description expands on the blurred lines outlining the areas within the golden ax-shaped form of Thailand and its close neighbors. At first glance, these lines might appear as a camouflage or military pattern, but with careful observation, the concealed map of Thailand suddenly emerges prominently. Nevertheless, it’s ambiguous, constantly shifting, incomplete, shrinking and expanding, reflecting the description of ‘fluidly intermingling’ in the artwork ‘Camouflage (Thailand and Neighbors) No. 2’ by the artist Sutee Kunavichayanont. This piece is part of the exhibition ‘CONCEAL,’ curated by Chalit Nakpawan, held from May 9 to June 19, 2024, at Lalanta Fine Art. The exhibition explores themes of maps, boundaries, camouflage, and power.
‘Camouflage’ presents a series of images that can be rearranged, connected, and interpreted through the blurred definitions of the Thai state and identity. It symbolically uses various versions of the map of Thailand, welcoming a variety of perspectives that blend shapes and patterns into a cohesive whole. The exhibition delves into segments of Sutee’s work related to the map of Thailand, starting with his earlier print-making series. These works incorporated elements from monuments and advertisements from the nation-building era under Field Marshal Plaek Phibunsongkhram, reassembling these components into black shadowy maps. Sutee’s journey doesn’t stop there. He takes us to the era of the Red Shirt movement, questioning the country’s national identity with a print of Thailand’s map, reversed and filled with red, reflecting transformative changes the country has undergone. This exploration continues with works that camouflage the map of Thailand within the ERDL Pattern, a cultural and military design from the United States, seamlessly tying in with the previous themes mentioned.
This exhibition takes viewers back to contemplate the shifting tides of political power between two global superpowers, whose influence has permeated numerous nations since World War II. Not only that, the ideological confrontations of the Cold War have been recontextualized against today’s political backdrops, visually encapsulated in a dramatically enlarged map of Thailand, intricately crafted via a die-cut technique. The map is mounted on a camouflage vinyl backdrop divided into four vivid colors—orange, yellow, red, and green— each representing a different political ideology of the present era. Simultaneously, ‘New World Order 2024’ unfolds as a provocative rearrangement of essential political and power maps. Distorted in scale, these maps defy their original proportions, merging to forge an entirely new geopolitical landscape. This imaginative topography paves the way to the exhibit’s concluding segment, where a collection of acrylic molds lays bare the artistic process behind the creation of the artist’s five latest works. This exhibition peels back layers not just to reveal the coherent thematic veins running through the artist’s body of work, but also to expose the often-veiled intricacies of the artistic process itself. In tandem, it casts a contemplative eye on the motif of camouflage—a visual strategy that here doubles as a method of stark emphasis.
“The camouflage pattern, while referencing the dominion of military might, reaches deeper, weaving connections to the pervasive forces of power and the shadowy undercurrents of violence. By deploying this motif in non-military hues, the artist frames a dialogue around the machinations of power, the ongoing tussle for supremacy, and the covert aggression lurking beneath. This choice serves as a dual reflection, laying bare the overt displays while hinting at the complexities that simmer just below the surface.”
The ‘CONCEAL’ exhibition unfolds through a series of conceptual pieces grounded in a diverse framework of ideas and themes, inviting viewers to delve into the myriad ways meanings are constructed and interpreted. Sutee is dedicated to highlighting the fluid nature of meaning-making, particularly through his relentless reinterpretation of maps. He argues that these themes deserve continual revisitation, as they consistently reveal new layers of insight. This evolution is evident across his extensive body of work; as the narratives and issues he seeks keep transforming, which results in an adaptation and evolution in his artworks in intriguing ways, ultimately encouraging deeper exploration into multidimensional and multilayered interpretations. All this takes place within the context of the broader narrative that the exhibition wishes to emphasize—the ‘Second Cold War’ era, that is currently unfolding. Intriguingly, how Thailand’s maps—often obscured or overlooked by international observers—intertwine and transform through this narrative syntax, and physically metamorphose, remains a compelling storyline to follow.
