Rupture

and its Cause and Effects is an exhibition of photographs curated by Olivier Pin-Fat which opened at the BACC last week. I prefer to think of it as just Rupture as it evidently was. It's causes and its effects must be remembered and recorded as accurately as possible as to not understand and to forget means that the chances of it happening again is high. Then again, we are well trained at having peaceful coups, as the world is good at waging war, even if it does go down in history and recorded and discussed, it still seems to happen.

I remember the day when we were under heavy curfew when I called P'Oh about going to hang out at RMA but he was getting ready to go to Ratchprasong, with P'Manit to capture the after math of Bkk burning, of 2 months of a giant sit-in and the ruptuous dramatic turn of which those 24 hours in May took. The exhibition, through the lens of 5 photographers, captures those moments, in the case of Agnes, she was right in there in the firing line, she captured the "now" and everyone through their camera lenses showed their version of destruction, a melancholic and at once ironic display spoken with five voices which attempts to capture through still images so that we are reminded that rupture, is not rapture and is not something that we should go forth and try to simulate once more.

12 pictures by Agnes were be banned from the exhinbiton for being too controversial, sure they were vivid, bloody and rather shocking but is not the point to show reality? What actaully happened, rather than burying it all in a coffin with the hope that together we can all get a long once more if we forget about the blood and the coffins? Luckily the pictuers were left intact in the book and it is a reminder of how close Agnes was to the action, in middle of it all, there is a picture of a mysterious black shirt, to the red coffins of the deceased. Powerful images indeed, photojournalism Magnum style.

Agnes' pictures (with some missing)

Along with the photos there were extracts of crititical theory and opinions, this is worth looking at and going back to read.

P'Oh had 8 prints as part of the show, they are a series called Apasmara, I had seen them before in small format at RMA (seeing as I sometimes choose to plant myself on P'Oh's sofa and not move) but to see them as large blown up, in matte, on the back wall of the large foyer was a poetic sight. There is a stillness to the pictures, a beauty reminiscent of the black and white prints of Doisneau from Paris, but within the glass is the shattering reality of destruction, the bullet holes in in the windows from Celine to Fendi to Prada . . .even humble little 7-11 was not left alone.

P'Oh and I

P'Oh and P'Harry

The thing with openings is that veryone is there,so it can be rather fun. The 9th floor of the BACC and the smaller 8th floor space were packed. As for as use of space is concerned as well as theme, this is the best exhibitin I think they have ever had in that space.

P'Juke, Yuni and P'Ing

lots of people

I am sad that Waris, Pan and I missed the speeches and we went in from the end (someone rightly pointed out that this was where the refreshments were) but the effect does not get lost though entering the right way around one is confronted first with Manit's photos, black and white, compositon that is tight yet with so much going on and not failing for a beat to find a touch of irony, humour or humanity. A nice intro.

P'Manit's work

One then walks into the enclave which is belongs to Agnes then up the ramp to see Piyatat's.

Waris

The other pictures were more colourful, pictures of flowers and smoke, landscapes, more ornamental in a way. Gloss. This is why in a way the pictures needed to be there together, the yellow folwers and over saturated hues to me, felt a little bit fay and needed the drama and reality of the other pics even if in this reality, it feels poetic. And there really is nothing fay or dreamlike about the Rupture that took place in May even though now, 5 months later (as P Sri Von Buren put it) we are walking around like nothign happened and all these events seem like a distant dream, or perhaps that is what they want to make you believe.