Rockbund Art Museum

About the talk

We are honored to invite the artist Navin Rawanchaikul to have a dialogue with Hsieh Feng-Rong, one of the curators of this exhibition. The conversation between the artist and the curator will lead us to behind-the-scene stories of the artwork as well as the practice of the artist. Through the discussion based on the artwork, we hope to discuss how one could negotiate with others or the society to construct one’s own cultural identity without the interference of stereotypes at a time when increasingly frequent and profound cross-cultural communication is the new normal; meanwhile, how an artist generates creativity from his own locality.

About the talk

We are honored to invite the artist Navin Rawanchaikul to have a dialogue with Hsieh Feng-Rong, one of the curators of this exhibition. The conversation between the artist and the curator will lead us to behind-the-scene stories of the artwork as well as the practice of the artist. Through the discussion based on the artwork, we hope to discuss how one could negotiate with others or the society to construct one’s own cultural identity without the interference of stereotypes at a time when increasingly frequent and profound cross-cultural communication is the new normal; meanwhile, how an artist generates creativity from his own locality.

Caption

Navin Rawanchaikul (Chiang Mai, Thailand, 1971)    

Fly with Me to Another World, 1999, acrylic on canvas, 278 × 810 cm. Courtesy of Sandretto Re Rebaudengo Collection

This large acrylic on canvas work emulates the Thai practice of painting advertisements and billboards. Rawanchaikul's works are the expression of a post-modern aesthetics willing to appropriate any cinematographic, artistic or commercial image and reinterpret it through a new narrative. This huge canvas/poster sets out to tell in a single image the story of Inson Wongsam, who in 1962 undertook a legendary two-year journey from Thailand to Italy on a scooter.

Caption

Navin Rawanchaikul (Chiang Mai, Thailand, 1971)    

Fly with Me to Another World, 1999, acrylic on canvas, 278 × 810 cm. Courtesy of Sandretto Re Rebaudengo Collection

This large acrylic on canvas work emulates the Thai practice of painting advertisements and billboards. Rawanchaikul's works are the expression of a post-modern aesthetics willing to appropriate any cinematographic, artistic or commercial image and reinterpret it through a new narrative. This huge canvas/poster sets out to tell in a single image the story of Inson Wongsam, who in 1962 undertook a legendary two-year journey from Thailand to Italy on a scooter.

About the Speakers

Navin Rawanchaikul is an Indian descent born in Chiang Mai (Thailand) in 1971. He lives and works in Thailand and Japan. Trained as painter, Navin Rawanchaikul is an eclectic artist capable of moving from the role of communicator to that of organizer and entertainer. His projects find their space on the street, on billboards, on means of public transport and in restaurants. Rawanchaikul's art is always site-specific, developed through a wide variety of media, it reflects on the idea of social and artistic community. Through his interventions, the artist seeks collaboration with the local context and the activities that take place in it, involving people for outside the art world.

Hsieh Feng-Rong is the senior curator and founding staff member of Rockbund Art Museum; he joined Rockbund Art Museum in 2009 during its preparatory stage. He was the coordinator of the renovation process and implemented the institutional structure of the museum. He has been working with many internationally renowned artists, including Cai Guoqiang, Zeng Fanzhi, Zhang Huan, Michael Lin, Duan Jianyu, Hu Xiaoyuan, Xu Bing, Bharti Kher, Ugo Rondinone, Mark Bradford, Chen Zhen and Philippe Parreno. In 2013, he got involved in founding the first HUGO BOSS ASIA ART award and was also the project manager for the award. Recent exhibitions curated by Hsieh include: “Tell Me a Story: Locality and Narrative” (co-curated with Amy Cheng, 2016, Shanghai), "RAM HIGHLIGHT 2017: DISPLACE" (curatorial team, 2017, Shanghai), "Walking on the Fade out Lines"(co-curated with Larys Frogier, 2018, Shanghai), “Tell Me a Story: Locality and Narrative” (co-curated with Amy Cheng, 2018, Turin).

About the Speakers

Navin Rawanchaikul is an Indian descent born in Chiang Mai (Thailand) in 1971. He lives and works in Thailand and Japan. Trained as painter, Navin Rawanchaikul is an eclectic artist capable of moving from the role of communicator to that of organizer and entertainer. His projects find their space on the street, on billboards, on means of public transport and in restaurants. Rawanchaikul's art is always site-specific, developed through a wide variety of media, it reflects on the idea of social and artistic community. Through his interventions, the artist seeks collaboration with the local context and the activities that take place in it, involving people for outside the art world.

Hsieh Feng-Rong is the senior curator and founding staff member of Rockbund Art Museum; he joined Rockbund Art Museum in 2009 during its preparatory stage. He was the coordinator of the renovation process and implemented the institutional structure of the museum. He has been working with many internationally renowned artists, including Cai Guoqiang, Zeng Fanzhi, Zhang Huan, Michael Lin, Duan Jianyu, Hu Xiaoyuan, Xu Bing, Bharti Kher, Ugo Rondinone, Mark Bradford, Chen Zhen and Philippe Parreno. In 2013, he got involved in founding the first HUGO BOSS ASIA ART award and was also the project manager for the award. Recent exhibitions curated by Hsieh include: “Tell Me a Story: Locality and Narrative” (co-curated with Amy Cheng, 2016, Shanghai), "RAM HIGHLIGHT 2017: DISPLACE" (curatorial team, 2017, Shanghai), "Walking on the Fade out Lines"(co-curated with Larys Frogier, 2018, Shanghai), “Tell Me a Story: Locality and Narrative” (co-curated with Amy Cheng, 2018, Turin).