“New Bangkok: The Skytrain in a multi-layered city”
an exhibition of photograhs by Rob Lucas
4-29 September 2008 (Garden & Rotunda Galleries)
Bangkok has changed rapidly in the last ten years. Due to high-speed-development and construction, modern city structures change in a pace that is even faster than that of the people that inhabit these cities. It is an energetic, definite process where we all have to find our way of living, and the way to use it at its best.
By far the most city-changing project in Bangkok of the last twenty years has been, and is the BTS, or Skytrain. A huge project, built to help hundreds of thousands of people find their way each day. It changed Bangkok forever.
Dutch photographer, curator and art director Rob Lucas noticed the start of this project 10 years ago, and made three snapshots of the first mile of the BTS. This powerful image never left his mind. Frequenting the city every few years, he followed the Skytrain conquer new territories. A year ago he decided to start using the BTS as his ‘object of desire’ in his photography, and started preparing a period of shooting. A thorough process lead to a beautiful exhibition and book with photos of the BTS. They show us an extraordinary mix of roughness and beauty, using monumental images to open up a structure that might turn out to be a classical form in times to come. The beauty in the beast.
Rob Lucas lives in Amsterdam, the Netherlands and Antwerp, Belgium, and photographs, designs, teaches, and observes the world he lives in, especially Asia. He has curated exhibitions with more than sixty photographers, and works as an Art Director for fashion-, news- and lifestyle-magazines. He teaches Visual Cultures at the Amsterdam Fashion Institute and sells and publishes his photographs.
The opening reception will take place Friday September the 5th from 7:00 to 9:00 pm
“Friends”
an exhibition of oil paintings by Preeda Wiraprapanporn, Napaporn Panijaranai Bernier, Patcharee Teopanichakit, Chuenpit Sukosit and Saisamorn Nasomphan
1-31 August (Garden & Rotunda Galleries)
“Friends” is a group exhibition of five Thai female artists who have been painting together for over 5 years in the Freedom of Art Group’96. Although each artist has her own style and use of media, their work is tied together by subject matter. The artists have a strong joint passion for beautiful nature and, in particular, flowers. Their mainly realistic work breathes calm and depth that makes you want to stand still and enjoy the sensation.
Individually the artists have participated in several group exhibitions and they also join the Thai Red Cross Society Exhibition for the Queen in August every year. The exhibition “Friends” will be the artists’ first group exhibition together. To mark this special occasion the artists will donate part of the proceeds to their teacher’s Art Library of Mr. Samarn Klangjaturat in Chaiyaphum province.
Preeda Wiraprapanporn began painting water colors in her secondary school, and afterwards studied porcelain painting and oil painting with Mr.Samarn Klungchaturat and Assoc.Prof.Prateep Sawangsuk. Her last class was at Silpakorn University.
Napaporn Panijaranai Bernier, a jewelry and movie costume designer by profession, first studied oil painting under Mr. Samarn Klungchaturatand oil painting at Mater Dei School.
Patcharee Teopanichkit’s art interest started when she was very young with pencil sketching and drawing. Later she attended several courses on oil painting by Ms. Renoo Osathanukroh and Mr. Samarn Klangjaturat.
Chuenpit Sukosit has had her heart set on drawing ever since she was a child, but had no chance to proceed with her dream until she was 56 years old. From then she joined several painting classes, and studied with Mr. Samarn Klungchaturat
Saisamorn Nasomphan, educated in Law, started to paint full time after she retired from her law career. She studied painting at Suan Dusit Rajabhat University and took classes with Mr. Samarn Klungchaturat.
The opening reception will be held on Friday, August 1st, from 6:30-9:00 pm
fax: 02 233 4999