THAI NA TOWN – LITTLE OZ
An international art project in Bangkok by Vipoo Srivilasa
At The Art Center, Center of Academic Resources, Chulalongkorn University
December 1, 2012 –January 16, 2013
Opening Reception: Friday November 30, 7-9pm
IS THERE SOMETHING YOU MISS ABOUT HOME? Thai-born Australian artist Vipoo Srivilasa wants to know.
THAI NA TOWN – LITTLE OZ is an international art project aiming to address Thai and Australian expats’ experiences of migration and cultural shifts, whilst promoting the importance of culture and the places we call “home”.
“The project will help broaden a cultural understanding between Thai and Australian communities,” says Vipoo Srivilasa.
The project is comprised of two parts. The first took place in June in Sydney, where Vipoo worked with Thai expats, and the second will take place in Bangkok this November. In Bangkok, Vipoo will lead a series of workshops where he invites Australian expats, Australian alumni and local audience who have been to Australia to take part. During the workshop, Vipoo will help participants make small clay objects of what they miss most about Australia.
The objects will be presented in the “THAI NA TOWN – LITTLE OZ” exhibition at The Art Center, Center of Academic Resources, Chulalongkorn University, in November this year. The exhibition will also feature Vipoo’s ceramic and mix media work which reflects what he misses about Thailand. The exhibition is the artist’s most ambitious project to date.
“I have been collaborating with many small communities to create this large-scale exhibition and I hope to collaborate with audiences during the show as well. There will be elements which audiences can help me create for the show,” Vipoo explains.
Khun Piyarat Suksiri, Director of Public and Cultural Diplomacy, Australian Embassy in Bangkok, talks about THAI NA TOWN – LITTLE OZ, saying “The project will help people on both sides understand each other, which is one of the most important aspects of contribution towards an enduring Australian-Thai relationship.”
"THAI NA TOWN – LITTLE OZ was a great way to take me and my family down a memory lane after we have left Thailand for about a year,” says Khun Jeerasak Pomsuwan, a Thai expat in Australia.
"Having an opportunity to share my deepest thoughts during the workshop led to my improvised creative work. Most importantly, it is a process with a happy ending," says Dr. Polladach Theerapappisit, a lecturer at the University of Western Sydney, Australia.
*To join one of Vipoo’s workshops or find out where the pop-up studio will take place, please visit www.vipoo.com. Workshop session is FREE and will take only 15-20 minutes.
THAI NA TOWN – LITTLE OZ is supported by the Australian government through the Australia International Cultural Council, an initiative of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and the Commonwealth through the Australia-Thailand Institute.
ABOUT VIPOO SRIVILASA
Vipoo Srivilasa is a Thai-born Australian artist. He has been living and working in Australia for more than 15 years. His works explore the ties between the two cultures. Vipoo received a Bachelor of Arts in Ceramics at Rangit University in Bangkok before moving to Australia in 1999. After his arrival, he obtained a Master of Fine Arts and Design (Ceramics) from University of Tasmania.
Vipoo has held numerous solo and group exhibitions around Australia and around the world. His work features in many public collections, including the Shepparton Art Gallery, Victoria; Art Bank Australia, Melbourne; Tasmania Museum and Art Gallery, Tasmania; Toowoomba Regional Art Gallery, Queensland; The Art Gallery of South Australia and the National Art Gallery of Australia.
For more information on the project, Vipoo Srivilasa and high-resolution images, please contact Vipoo via email at [email protected], tel: +61 425 710 149 or at www.vipoo.com.
The Art Center
7th Fl, Center of Academic Resources, Chulalongkorn University
Phyathai Rd, Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330
Tel: 02-218-2965, Fax: 02-218-2907
Email: [email protected]
www.car.chula.ac.th/art
Facebook: The Art Center - Chula
Monday-Friday 9am-7pm, Saturday 9am-4pm
Closed on Sunday & Public Holidays
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Thai Na Town Little Oz - Poster
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Click here for Thai version