Collapsing Clouds Form Stars
By Som Supaparinya
30 January 2025 – 26 April 2025
At Gallery VER

We are pleased to present Collapsing Clouds Form Stars, an exhibition by artist Som Supapinya at Gallery VER.

This exhibition brings together Supapinya's major works that have never been shown in Thailand, including Collapsing Clouds Form Stars and Band ​Books series, which critically unveil, through spatial and linguistic approaches, precarious conditions in Thai society immediately post-2014 coup d’état and under military rule. The show also presents Supaparinya’s latest video work The Unsung Lyric of Ping​* that chronicles pivotal transformation of the Ping River (in the North of Thailand) before and after the major flood in 2024 and its catastrophic consequences that reflect an imbalance in relations between human beings and nature. The Unsung Lyric of Ping is a companion piece to The Rivers They Don’t See, currently exhibiting at the National Gallery, as part of the Bangkok Art Biennale 2024.

Gallery VER invites you to explore the multifaceted world of Supapinya's art – experiencing her unique body of works shown together for the first time in this mini-retrospective exhibition, through diverse perspectives, perceptive interpretations, and fragile beauty that reveals a profound truth in nature and society.

SPECIAL ACTIVITY l SOM SUPAPARINYA

Collapsing Clouds Form Stars ฝุ่นถล่มเป็นดาว Book Launch & Roundtable titled "Art practice amidst the changing society since 2006" 

 Date: Sunday, 30th March, 2025

Time: 2.30-5.30 PM

At Gallery VER

Moderator: 

Som Supaparinya

Guest Speaker:

Ampannee Satoh

Prakit Kobkijwattana

Ruangsak Anuwatwimon 

In conjunction with the launch of the book "Collapsing Clouds Form Stars" which is part of the exhibition "Collapsing Clouds Form Stars" by Som Supaparinya at the gallery starting from 30 January to 26 April 2025, we would like to invite everyone to engage in a conversation as artists working amidst the significant changes in society and politics over the past two decades.

 Since the coups in 2006 and 2014, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the recent economic recovery and general elections in 2023, Thailand's biennial art festival has emerged as a new destination for contemporary art in Asia. This has been followed by the growth of medium to large private art institutions and the formation of artist groups across various regions of Thailand outside the capital. If we reflect on ourselves and the art scene since the 2006 coup as artists, art professionals, and audience members, we believe you will notice a significant transformation in the world of art compared to two decades ago.

Thus, the roundtable discussion titled "Art Practice Amidst the Changing Society since 2006" invites artists, cultural practitioners, and interested audience members to discuss these transitions. This activity aims to serve as a small platform for sharing experiences in art creation, the thoughts that influence work, the impact on lives, emerging challenges and new opportunities, and how we adapt in these rapidly changing times. Through this roundtable dialogue, we hope to raise awareness of the various dimensions of change experienced through working in the field of art.

Schedule
2.30 PM - Book launch
3.00-3.40 PM - Artist introduces book & Q&A
3.50-5.30 PM - Roundtable Discussion: Art Practice Amidst the Changing Society since 2006

*No pre-registration required, open to all
*The discussion will be conducted in Thai Only