Avid Bangkok-dwelling creatives have a lot to look forward to this month, as Thailand welcomes its first-ever exhibition by world-renowned artist duo Craig & Karl. With the aim of making art installations more accessible to the general public, Siam Center has partnered with Citibank to host the ‘Color of Siam Created by Craig & Karl’, a visually stimulating pop-up that transforms Siam Center’s creative ‘Ideaopolis’ space into a vibrant and colourful spectrum of hues.
An event was held to celebrate the launch of the event, attended by Bangkok’s A-list names including Anutra Chatikavanij, Janewit Limthamrong, MR Chantaraladda Yukol, and more. From what to expect, to the globally-acclaimed faces behind the installation, here’s everything we know about the exhibition.
Carl & Kraig are pretty good at long-distance.
Famed for bold graphics, thought-provoking pieces, and an affinity for Internet pop-culture, there’s something so unified about Carl & Kraig’s work that makes it hard to believe the two artists live worlds apart. Yet with Craig Redman based in New York, and Karl Maier in London, their partnership is definitely a transatlantic one. But how does one work so seamlessly with a partner oceans away? For Carl & Kraig, it’s all about communication. Through daily back-and-forth exchanges and an implicit sense of trust, the duo have managed to build a portfolio of impressive clientele, including the likes of LVMH, Google, Nike, Apple, along with publications such as Vanity Fair, The Washington Post, and The New York Times.
This marks their first ever art installation in Thailand.
Having exhibited in major sites across the globe — most notably at the Musée de la Publicité in Paris, the Onassis Cultural Centre in Athens, and the Museum of the Moving Image in New York City — this exhibition marks their first venture in Thailand.
To have this bright burst of palettes take form in Siam Center The Ideaopolis is incredibly fitting — a hub that inspires boundless creativity, and a passion for the arts, the space has long attracted avid creatives and fashion vanguards interested in everything from fashion to technology and lifestyle. As Siam Piwat’s Deputy Managing Chanisa Kaewruen put it, “We are honoured to be collaborating with world-renowned artists Craig & Karl to produce such remarkable art installations. Known for their original style and artistic work around the world, this will be Thailand’s first time to experience their creativity closer than ever.”
The exhibition contains a piece especially designed for Siam Center, titled ‘Chromagic’.
Even more exciting is the fact that the exhibition includes a spectacular piece of art, curated just for Siam Center. Titled ‘Chromagic’, the artwork is inspired by a combustion of geometric shapes — think a fun, uninhibited remix of semi-spheres, cylinders, and graphically modeled forms reminiscent of eyes and a mouth.
Expect levitating geometry, designed to reflect the ‘Colour of Siam’.
Born from the idea of exploding geometry and colours bouncing off one another, the final product is akin to a work of art floating in the air. Creating an otherworldly space full of wonder, the key to this installation lies in its so-called fragments — semi-circles, cut-up shapes, graphics of facial features and colours that come together to create an abstract but nonetheless relatable expression of happiness and fun in Bangkok city.
Experience and be inspired by the world-class exhibition first hand at Siam Center: The Ideaopolis from today until January 5, 2020. To find out more, visit siamcenter.co.th.
Mary Losmithgul
The online content creator for Prestige Thailand, Mary handles the magazine's digital platforms. She enjoys black coffee, astro charts and listening to entire albums in one go. When not engrossed in a novel or having brunch, catch her on the hunt for new restaurants and the city's latest happenings.