Arin Rungjang is a Thai contemporary artist known for his videos and installations that probe into the lesser-known aspects of Thai and global society in history and the present. Personal narratives often form the core of his artworks, exploring topics such as migration, violence, and the juncture of different cultures, as filtered through memory.
Read MoreA recurring anecdote in Arin's work concerns his father, Prayong Rungjang, who was attacked by a group of Neo Nazis while travelling in Germany in 1977. Prayong died the same year from the internal injuries and cancer, leaving Arin's mother, Russamee, to raise their two children. The video From My Mother's Memory (2009) shows a view of the Bangkok city from the top floor of the Dusit Thani—the place where Russamee used to work, and where she would go to grieve her husband's death. Another video installation, Russamee Rungjang "Mother" (2015) explores more of her memories, revealing not only the artist's family history but also the lasting legacy of past political and discriminatory beliefs.
From the exploration of his father's tragic death, Arin has expanded his practice to examine the lives of contemporary migrant workers and diasporic communities. In the video Unequal Exchange, No Exchange Can Be Unequal (2011)—presented at the Singapore Biennale in 2011—for example, the artist chats with Thai migrant workers at the Golden Mile Complex—a Thai enclave in Singapore—and the people living in the workers' home villages back in Thailand. He also worked with migrant workers of various ethnicities, showing their portraits in the silent film Prayong (Aglaia odorata): Dedicated to my Father (2019).
Other works by Arin engage with cross-cultural encounters in history and their continuing influence on the present. Golden Teardrop (2013)—created for the Thai Pavilion in the 55th Venice Biennale—is a sculptural installation consisting of 6,000 suspended brass teardrops that are supported by a wooden frame to make an intricate geometric configuration. The work refers to thong yod: a Thai dessert made with egg yolk and cream. In the video that accompanied the installation, the artist traces the origin of thong yod, in which Maria Guyomar de Pinha—who was of Portuguese, Japanese, and Bengali descent—introduced a recipe that Thai people adopted to the Siamese court in the 17th century.
Born in Bangkok, Arin graduated with a BFA in Graphic Arts from the Faculty of Painting, Sculpture, and Graphic Arts at Silpakorn University, Bangkok, in 2002. His most recent solo exhibitions include They Beat Your Father at ShanghART Singapore (2019); Bengawan Solo, Portikus, Frankfurt (2018); and 246247596248914102516... And then there were none, Gallery VER, Bangkok (2017); amongst others. Selected group exhibitions include the 12th Shanghai Biennale (2018); If These Stones Could Sing, Kadist, San Francisco (2018); JIWA: Jakarta Biennale 2017; and documenta 14, Kassel (2017).
Sherry Paik | Ocula | 2019
