“Useless Art-Exhibition: Ratchaburi Journey” by Pisitakun Kuntalang
Concepts I have been anxiously pondering about the question from people around me. They wondered to what I’ve been doing on my artworks and asked, “Hey, are they useful?” They made me re-criticizing myself with the word ‘USEFUL’. So, I try to divide into two points. First is about earning a living that I could get money from selling them. Secondly, what if they can’t be sold but at least we can use them with some functions, it’s like we make consumer products, bags for carrying or toys for children.
Anyway, I gradually started to understand the question and believe that the artwork must be useful. In contemporary world, artworks have been created which are close to everywhere and everyday routine lives. Let me give you some examples… one of the world famous Thai artists, who cooks Pad Thai to the beholders in different galleries around the world, he made a familiar spectacle in a contemporary art space. He tries to relate a culinary interaction and sharing habits to the aesthetics. Either, the audience can choose and play the film, which they would like to watch in the artwork’s space. Or an oxygen service for Biennale’s visitors is created to relief tiredness from walking around the event and to fresh them up with drinking water. These examples therefore depend on specific site and context. Then I’m asking myself again and again, is it necessary to what people want for contemporary art? In the mean time, Thai people still love traditionally conservative artwork. We obviously notice from people who applaud talented and extravagant drawings of Thai artist with his loud and yelling character.
By this time, I certainly agree with this conflict, although I continue doubting about what is the authentic value of art with the majority consent? In the beginning, art was created for an everyday object, which combined with a function, aesthetics and a concept. Likewise, Blue and white (chinaware), people always value them for a high-class art. For this reason, I use the idea of valuing art to explain my idea in this exhibition and questioning about the real value of contemporary art or even my works.
So, let’s get to the point! Is it all about ‘the money’? I think, art hasn’t been created with it’s own value but the judgments from each taste and experience. Thence, art resemblingly reflects on both artist and audience as a mirror. If any audiences want to have this mirror for themselves, they need to barter with Money + Taste + Experience and then all of these factors would turn into the money in artists’ wallets. We apparently experience from the auction house that some artwork prices raise up to million or billion. If and then one day, these factors are gone, do you still call them “Art”?
I put everything from the experience in Tao Hong Tai on my blue and white. It is like a typical ancient recording, which was drawn on the surfaces. Then I can’t restrain myself to say something about “3 Legs”, the brutal dog of Tao Hong Tai for some reasons in finding the values of contemporary art.
Let me answer by this exhibition and I will let you say what you think…
From now on, these are 3 questioned answers;
* What if I make uselessness from functioned objects?
* There will be drawing lots
* The artwork purchasing is to take a chance by drawing lots
Artwork Selling RegulationsThis art exhibition shows the ideas of artistic value, such as evaluation of risk taking, creativity of salesmanship and exchanging context of site, activity and audience. The procedure of selling is also one of the evaluations of art’s value.
1. *Free 3 prizes will be drawn lots in the opening night but you have to write your fanatical number on lot from the postcard.
2. Purchasing the artwork is to take drawing lots. While the significant factors of artwork buying (Money + Taste+ Experience) have lost, would you still want to buy them? (More info from the concept)
3. When you’re ready to take a chance, each drawing cost 4,999 Baht for each work up to 3 times. (Max. 14,997 Baht of no more than 3 pieces for one person) The reason why you have to pay first is the artist doesn’t want you to choose which work you would like to get but you have to think about why you would like to buy it. And you will gradually understand yourself and the purpose of art.
4. After drawing lots, you will get a certificate to confirm that you are a legal owner of an artwork and you can get it back after the end of the exhibition.
Title: “Useless Art-Exhibition: Ratchaburi Journey”
Dimension: Variable
Technique: Chinaware
