The Rajamangala University of Technology Isan in Thailand has experienced repeated disruption and cancelation of classes since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Now artist Nile Koetting will play on these testing circumstances in a new Beckettian work made for the Thailand Biennale, Korat 2021, which will see an airport lounge installed in the institution, in which visitors are invited to wait for flights that never materialise.
The Japanese-born artist is one of several responding to current circumstances in the exhibition, curated by Yuko Hasegawa, which opens in December (having itself been postponed several times). Also among the diverse array of venues is Nakhon Ratchasima Zoo at which Singaporean artist and composer Zai Tang has collaborated with the Thai Crane Research Centre to create a sound installation inspired by Eastern Sarus Cranes’ unison calls, highlighting the endangered species and the region’s conservation effort.
Other projects in Butterflies Frolicking on the Mud: Engendering Sensible Capital have been forced to be completely reimagined. Yllang Montenegro, who is from the Philippines, initially planned workshops with female immigrant workers. As the plan cannot be implemented, instead she will create a sculptural installation using live plants and aprons made from recycled materials by the local Filipino community.
The three artists are among the complete list released today by Hasegawa. Joining them are Atacama Desert Foundation (Chile), Maxwell Alexandre (Brazil), Hicham Berrada (Morocco), Bianca Bondi (South Africa), Montien Boonma (Thailand), Mathieu Merlet-Briand (France), Yanyun Chen (Singapore), Liu Chuang (China), Sandra Cinto (Brazil), Gohar Dashti (Iran), Charlotte Dumas (Netherlands), Olafur Eliasson (Denmark), Jan Fabre (Belgium), Yang Fudong (China), John Gerrard (Ireland), Shilpa Gupta (India), David Hammons (USA), Federico Herrero (Costa Rica), Chris Huen Sin-kan (Hong Kong), Junya Ishigami (Japan), Rinko Kawauchi (Japan), Keiken (United Kingdom), Koichi Sato and Hideki Umezawa (Japan), Alongkorn Lauwatthana and Homesawan Umansap (Thailand), Kwanchai Lichaikul (Thailand), Make or Break (Australia), Haroon Mirza (United Kingdom), Ngoc Nau (Vietnam), Krit Ngamsom (Thailand), David O’Reilly (Ireland), Uriel Orlow (United Kingdom/Switzerland), PHKA Studio (Thailand (PNAT (Italy), Pomme Chan (Thailand), Akras Pornkajornkijkul (Thailand), Boonserm Premthada (Thailand), Herwig Scherabon (Austria), Sema Thai (Thailand), Slowstitch Studio (Thailand), Sim Chi Yin (Singapore), Elias Sime (Ethiopia), Eli Sudbrack (Brazil), Som Supaparinya (Thailand), SUPERFLEX (Denmark), Mio Suzuki (Japan), Min Tanaka (Japan), Rudee Tancharoen (Thailand), Tsuyoshi Tane (Japan), Prasit Wichaya (Thailand), YANTOR (Japan), Giacomo Zaganelli (Italy).
