Mekong Fulcrum Project

Opening Reception: Sat 14 Dec 2024 | 4 - 7 pm

"Mekong Fulcrum Project", an exhibition by Ruangsak Anuwatwimon, parses the disruptive effects of the increasing impoverishment and volatility of the Mekong River on the livelihoods of those within its biosphere.

Through his on-site research, for which he traversed riverside provinces, interviewed locals, and consulted with experts and activists concerned with the activities and well-being of the great river, Ruangsak, together with ART WORMs Collective, presents a floating installation of a section of the Mekong along the Thai border and manipulated sound artwork, recalling the lost inheritance of the Thai Mekong region. 

Ruangsak delves deep, recollecting the history of what was once an abundant river through the remnants of its dissipating cultural and environmental essence. Since the dawn of time the Mekong has been the source of sustenance to the communities that depend on it; yet man-made modifications, imposed on the river to exploit it, have caused the rapid collapse of the precarious ecosystem in recent decades.

Drawing attention to the fragile interplay between nature and humanity, “The Mekong Fulcrum Project” highlights the dwindling ecosystems of the river at the cost of progress. It is a lament for what has been slipping away and a call to protect the remaining essence of the Mekong before it, too, fades into memory.

About the Artist

Ruangsak Anuwatwimon (1975) is a Thai contemporary artist based in Bangkok, Thailand. He is passionate in Art and Nature and is interested in the future evolution of the human species, which often becomes the topic of his research. Based on the “Regenerate Sculpture” concept, in his works he wonders how human beings can resolve the problem of extinction and evolution. One of his seminal works, the Ash Heart Project (2010), encompasses a total of 270 heart-shaped artworks made from the ashes of 270 different flora and fauna species. Most of dead or decayed specimens were found in the local areas throughout Thailand. As part of the project, the artist burned the specimens to ashes and re-shaped them into heart-shape sculptures. Another remarkable work is the GOLEM project exhibited at BKK Art House, Bangkok (2011) and at Palais de Tokyo, Paris (2015). The concept behind GOLEM is the construction of a utopian human being, whose parts are made from ashes of animals and plants.

Across all his ashes-based projects, Ruangsak reflects on the protagonist relationship that humans have with nature. He employs diverse mediums to express his ideas and challenges the perimeters of what constitutes an artwork. His conceptual projects explore social, cultural, and moral grounds of human societies.