TAIKI SAKPISIT

The premise of this exhibition can be traced back to a nightmare Sakpisit experienced in Singapore in 2018. A phone call from his brother awoke him from the nightmare, informing him about the passing of a family member. Since then, Sakpisit has become increasingly drawn to the intersections between dreams, memory, grief, and premonition, culminating in this exhibition.

In his first solo exhibition with ShanghART Singapore, Sakpisit transforms the gallery into a labyrinth of moving images, photography, sound and spectral presences. A series of photographic works appear as snapshots and fragments from different realities, layering upon one another. Drawn from the artist’s collection of photographs shot over the past few years as a core part of his working process, the images form a quiet yet intense distillation of Sakpisit’s memories and encounters with place and history.

Anchoring the exhibition, the two-channel installation transforms cinematic language into a spatial, sculptural, and psychological encounter. Within this shifting landscape, animism, supernatural presences, and altered states appear as recurring motifs through which Sakpisit evokes fear, vulnerability, and the persistence of the unconscious. Together, they construct a landscape haunted by historical trauma and contemporary anxieties.

Working across experimental film, photography, and installation, Sakpisit continues to expand cinema beyond the conventions of projection, inviting audiences to inhabit images physically and experience the moving image as an environment rather than a sequence of projected frames. Rather than following a linear narrative, visitors navigate the exhibition as they might recall a dream: through fragments, repetitions and sudden dislocations.

About the Artist

Taiki Sakpisit (ไทกิศกัด(ิพิสิษฐ,์ b.1975) is a filmmaker and visual artist based in Bangkok, renowned for his innovative approach to storytelling and his profound exploration of Thailand’s complex history. Through the lens of cinema, Sakpisit unpacks the nation’s turbulent past, infusing his experimental films with a subtle yet resounding political commitment.

His works delve into the underlying tensions, conflicts, and anticipations of contemporary Thailand, meticulously crafted through precise and sensorially overwhelming audio-visual assemblage. Utilising a diverse array of sounds and images, Sakpisit creates immersive experiences that challenge conventional narratives and provoke thought.

About ShanghART

ShanghART Gallery was established in Shanghai in 1996. It has since grown to become one of China’s most influential art institutions and a vital player in the development of contemporary art in China, working with over 50 pioneering and emerging artists, including DING Yi, LI Shan, LIN Aojie, Arin RUNGJANG, SUN Xun, Melati SURYODARMO, TANG Da Wu, Apichatpong WEERASETHAKUL, XU ZHEN®, YANG Fudong, ZENG Fanzhi, and ZHAO Renhui Robert.

ShanghART Singapore was established in 2012 as the gallery’s Southeast Asia wing, located in the contemporary art cluster Gillman Barracks. The gallery’s first overseas space serves as a platform to introduce Chinese contemporary art to the region while developing collaborations with Southeast Asian artists, facilitating cross-cultural dialogues and enriching artistic exchanges within the global art community.