TERRA HAUS VIBHA – PHAHON 21
Tag: materials
PHOTO ESSAY : THE FABRIC OF SOCIETY
TEXT & PHOTO: BARRY MACDONALD
(For Thai, press here)
‘The Fabric of Society’ is a metaphor that refers to the underlying structure, relationships and interconnectedness that hold a society together. Just as fabric is made up of individual threads, woven together to create a cohesive whole, the Fabric of Society is composed of various elements such as shared values, norms, laws, institutions, and cultural practices. These bind individuals and groups together, and make us all a part of the common thread of society as a whole.
Phaa Bai (blue & white plastic tarp) is the flag of the working class, but everyone’s life depends on it. Every meal we eat, the food is grown, fished, transported, sold, cooked or eaten with Phaa Bai being involved somehow in the process. All construction, plumbing and electrical work will rely on this versatile material, every building has needed it at some point. All of the things that we buy might have used Phaa Bai for the transportation, storage or even making entire market stalls. Floor, table, walls, roof and all. From simple objects on the street to the most precious Buddhist Statues in a temple, Phaa Bai is trusted to protect them all.
This project is about Phaa Bai, but is also about society as well. Through focusing on Phaa Bai you can see globalisation and homogeny of design, with everyone using the same products from the same suppliers. Environmental issues of plastic production, reuse and upcycling, as well as the Thai flair for improvising materials into new forms and functions. It is also linked to issues with migrant workers and the trades they take up in Thailand, and how they sometimes live in housing constructed with Phaa Bai.
Without it the country would not be able to function, It is literally the embodiment of the social fabric.
___________________
Barry Macdonald (born in 1984) is a freelance photographer from London, England. He started off shooting musicians and found out about the enjoyment of travelling from going on tour with bands around Europe and the USA. His work has evolved into a hybrid of street and documentary. He is interested in sociology and tries to look at culture and human nature through his photography. He has lived in Bangkok since 2022.
THE TUBE COLLECTION
TEXT: TIM TEVEN
PHOTO: PIERRE CASTIGNOLA
(For Thai, press here)
The Tube Collection is a series of works derived from material experiments, which include mechanical actions to deform the metal. Out of these experiments, I obtained processing systems that allow me to effectively exploit the material properties and the properties of the accruing deformation in shape: technical and mechanical gestures that translate into a self-made aesthetic.
Blurring the lines between designing every detail and spontaneous outcomes, the work shows an interplay between mechanical and hand-made gestures.
_____________
Tim Teven (1993) is a Dutch designer who graduated from Design Academy Eindhoven in 2018. Treating materials in an unconventional way to rethink the process of making allows him to find surprising techniques, which can then be translated into functional yet interesting objects. Teven works from his design studio, which was founded in 2018 and is based in Eindhoven. All the objects are hand-made with industrial craftsmanship.