Act I : An exhibition pavilion to showcase competition entries to the 2018 International Design Competition, organized by the Association of Siamese Architects (ASA). The pavilion embraces the annual competition theme VEX: Agitated Vernacular, by subjecting wood, the themed material, to abrasive processes of peeling & sanding, charring, or burning. The vexed wood is then hand-crafted: rough-sawn, stacked, and tied, to form two black & white cubic geometries that host the exhibition materials. Charcoal, mixed with leftover wood from the processes, is contained in multiple cubic gabion baskets for area seating. Conventional fabrication and vernacular construction techniques merge with contemporary ones to become the new vernacular craft that responds to current socioeconomic, cultural, climatic, and technological parameters.
Act II : The black wooden cube reincarnates in a white gallery space of the Bangkok Art and Culture Center (BACC), as a part of the Bangkok Art Biennale (BAB) 2018. Freed from its past-life obligations, the 3m x 3m x 3m cube now opens to new interpretations. Devoid of contents, the battered, cut-out geometry becomes an abstract, indeterminate object, ready to assume new roles – a node, a path/a tunnel, a hideout, a blackened treehouse, an IG backdrop, and a week-long, 24/7 shelter/stage for a live performance artist Taweesak Molsawat.
