Big Number

30 is a big number, well, I have always thought of it as a rather big number, age-wise that is. The pressure of throwing a big 30 bday bash was rather large but in the end I opted for dinner and a little street party RMA* style where I celebrated turning 30 with good friends and loads of food and alco. It was definitely the combination of P Ing's sweet and addictive pineapple mojito, P'Oun's porksticks, Bo of Bo.lan's salads, noodles from P'Oh's fave noodle spot, Sai Oua northern sausage that P'Joei and Teem hooked me up with that made for such an enjoyable night.

Bday portraits. . . .

Other highlights were homemade cupcakes by Jelly Jan, all 31 of them with separate candles (extra one for good luck), my second cake which was Pette's victoria sponge and third which was Pim's peanut butter cheesecake! 3 cakes, that really should last a whole month.

As the month of March draws to a close, I look back and think, maybe it is just a number but a really great excuse to celebrate (and on a more serious note, grow up).

*RMA Institute is Piyatat Hemmatat's (P'Oh) space, it is sort of like my second home. It is here that P'Oh has an office - secluded and calm oasis of dim light, great sound system and a wonderful record collection that he passionately adds to with the help of Amazon. It is also home to a wonderful free space where artists can show work, performance artists can perform and filmmakers can screen movies with the wonderful projector. Outside is the garden cafe where Bo and Dylan of Bo.lan throw together fresh ingredients for brunch and lunch everyday except Mondays. I am addicted to their truffled poached eggs and their mega creative salads. Bo made this amazing fennel and orange salad for my bday. Last but not least, let's not forget Dukdik, the resident Princess, a true Cinderella of a Thai pup. Love her.

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.

Samui 2010

Back to Samui, first  time since that little interval last year . . . this time my companion was Piyatat Hemmatat and we stayed at The Library . . . P'Ji, the GM had kindly invited us to check it out and see what little projects we might be able to do together . . . needless to say, it was like a primed blank canvas waiting to be painted upon, in the most secluded and private enclave that exists on Chaweng beach . . I'd say there are a few fun little things we could do.

Caroline Gaimari, her sister Angela and Laetitia stayed the weekend too, this was their first visit to our wonderful kingdom, Caroline recovering from Paris Fashion Week festivities, the magazine she works at, Purple, being the centre of much fashion and culture of late. Respect to the girls for  not shying away from the shambles that political in fighting has caused.  

Caroline and Piyatat

Laetitia and Angela

We had a fun little weekend in SAmui, love the red pool, it's what I imaginei walking on Mars would be like.  

The library is great, especially in the day time, a little oasis of books and dvd's. Oh and Breakfast Culture on the beach- that we absolutely adored . . .even if I resulted in me being burnt like a lobster taking completely foregranted the intensity to the Thai sun.

YL Residence was also lovely, owned by a friend of Piyatat's, private, seculded and totally Miami . . .like those houses on star island with its own lawn.  What kind of parties could be thrown there with close friends, one can just imagine, I know Caroline is plotting especially because there is a zoo next door and she got to pose with a tiger. . .and we got to meet little baby cubs and monkeys. Too cute.

Alas, Monday morning arrived and Bkk was dead, a strange tension enveloped the city, it took me less than 20 mins to get to work thus it felt like I acutally got a bkk airways flight to MCOT.  

Bye Bye Raindogs

Saying good bye to an institution is always hard . . .especially when the circumstances are rather tragic, in this case the death of its owner and bidding adieu seems premature . . . that is the case with Raindogs, that little derelict haunt with the best music in town underneath the expressway.  I think of TV on the Radio's Lovedogs when I think Raindogs for some reason.

Anyway, Raindogs stands alone, Raindogs showed art docs about Bacon and Koons, Raindogs hosted Zud Rangma's Paradise Bangkok . . . a treat since I went to my first one some time back with Piyatat and we have been to every single one thereafter, with the little souvenirs to show for it.

Thank you Raindogs for showing me that funk, raggae, luk tung, molam, hip hop can fuse into a harmonious whole . .  . for Paradise Bankok, the journey to the express way and also beer drinking on the terrace with the sound of toads providing the melody when we don't want to go inside and showing that there is more to Bangkok than what there seems to be.

New Order 2010

I wrote an article for Thailand Tatler . . .called New Order 2010.  It's about the hotspots in 2010 and has a little calender at the end.  I'm not saying I am the expert nor a futurologist but it does not take much to notice that there is a "new order" and the circuit has changed.   It was originally in direct reference to Vanity Fair where Thackeray talks about a fair of vanity - the participants attending the fair to increase their knowledge, connections etc . . . a reflection of their vanity.  

Vanity Fair at Yao Noi

This is however a bit sinister though there might be an inkling of truth but what I suggest is that it is no longer about going to parties for the sake of them . . .it is about something more . . .to have an input and take with you a little bit from a collective creative knowledge.  I suppose this was my little insight . . . especially into the lives of some of my dearest friends who in their own way contribute significantly to this little circuit.  Andre and Nat Sarasas . . . our time in Yao Noi with little Cleo was hugely inspring. I hope this year I get to spend more time in Chiang Mai, it is after all our artistic hub and go to the dessert, probably not Essakane this time but maybe Rancho Mirage. In Paris - Andre, OLT and Alex de Betak really add to the place. . . In Bkk - Piyatat for his sublimely beautiful photographs that adorn the streets of Bangkok - very excited for his school R.M.A to open. I cannot wait to see Arnold's new lighting projects and am to this day inspired by the Prada Transformer.  Venice and Basel - always on the circuit. . .and it really was this experience with friends in 2009 . . .the shared moments . . .the funny ones (piggy backs and flood in Venice) and the not so funny ones (missing flights) that I hope will be repeated in 2010.  And we can't forget London - never! 

Now that we are in a new decade. . .it's definitely not a time to kick back and have pina coladas on a island - they say the golden tiger roars and moves things . . .if anything that is what this new order - making things happen and making changes.

Here are some outtakes from that did not make it into New Order 2010 . . . 

Andre, Cleo, Me, Nat

Venice

Phuket

Hong Kong

Rirkrit Tiravanija at Venice

New York

Paris

New Order 2010 in Thailand Tatler, January 2010, on newsstands now.