Art with a 'Very Special' message

HENNESSY Very Special, the youngest of Hennessy’s cognacs, welcomes 2015 by holding the exhibition, “Keeping Art Alive”.

The show, which is at HOF Art Space in the new W District between Ekamai and Phra Kanong, features works by four new generation artists based on the keywords used to describe the cognac. 

“Unique” is by printed textile designer Sarinya Limthongtip, “Believe” is by photographer Chutchawarn Janthachotibutr, “Passion” by foam sculpture artist and painter Akegaluck Sagaew, and “Dare” is by illustrator Aruk Ornvilai who goes by the penname Sahred Toy.

Sarinya’s large art piece is near the door and can also easily been seen through the gallery’s glass wall. She’s called her work “Wonderland”. “I interpreted the concept of ‘Unique’ as a kind of dream land and divided it into four scopes, each one reflecting a season. It’s nothing like my previous works. This time, you must experience it and how you perceive it will depend on your height and the distance between you and the work. The first scope is winter with a snowy unicorn mountain pattern. The second is the rainy season with a dragon playing in water. The third is spring with blooming blossoms and the rising sun, and the fourth is summer and has a holiday feel. The colourful graphic at the base is the centre of all the elements,” 

Akegaluck Sagaew’s sculpture of a throne with a slide crafted from ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) foam conjures up the “Passion.”

“My work is suited to the word as it focuses fascination and desire I want my work to look as great as the brand. Everybody has a passion to have better social status, be that a position or a car. I present passion with the throne as the highest point and combine it with the slide for when you are tossed down from the top. It mirrors the ups and downs in life,” says Akegaluck, who is in constant demand in both the fashion and advertising fields. 

“The flexibility of the material allows it to be cut and bent into various shapes, and it is also environmentally friendly."

“I transformed my concept of ‘Dare’ from the 2D we see in text books to 3D. When I was younger, I dreamed of being a professional artist but because it was so difficult to make a living from art, I studied science-mathematics while focusing on product design,” says Aruk. 

“The deer represents my being led out of a 2D world into another dimension, one that’s alive with art.

Chutchawarn’s photographic installation takes up an entire room. Scenes of people and products are projected on the walls to a soundtrack made up of people chatting, a heart beating, a keyboard clacking, the ker-ching of a cash machine and music. 

“This room is a model of life. I would like people to feel uncomfortable while standing in this room. It gives off a feeling of confusion with quickly running scenes and noisy sounds and we can’t concentrate on any one thing,” says Chutchawarn of his “Believe” concept. 

“My message is that technology advances so fast that we have no chance to protect ourselves from the impact of information overload. Today you go to a restaurant and lots of the kids are playing games on their parents’ phones and tablets. How are kids to learn social skills? We are fed nothing but violence, a desire for money and international culture. It is very harmful. No matter how well you are dressed up, your shadow is your true self. It represents the truth.