Off to a cheerful start

BANGKOK ISN’T yet the art-conscious city that, say, Paris or Milan are, but appreciation for art and culture shows up in the most unusual places, such as constructions.
Samyarn Mitrtown is being developed on Rama IV Road as Bangkok’s “first smart mixed-use project” with an “Urban Life Library” concept. 
To get neighbourhood folks expressing themselves and encourage “a sense of ownership” and belonging, the developer, Golden Land Property Development, has invited four young artists to turn the construction hoarding into a gallery of street art.

Pitchaya “Beer Pitch” Srirapong, Tatchmapan “Pomme Chan” Chanchamrassaeng, Akkarapon Munlod and Pasinee “Jeep” Kongdechakul are participating in the Samyan Mitrtown Artist Collaboration 2, a follow-up to a successful earlier project. 
The reasoning is that free-to-see street art can “reach” as many people in a month as a major metropolitan museum does in a year. Samyan district residents as well as visitors are getting a treat for the eyes. 
The Urban Life Library is the first in a series of planned projects, to be followed by a Learning Library, an Eating Library and a Living Library.
Pattira Charoenchasri, managing director of Ductstore the Design Guru, brought the artists together for the project, recently hosted a gathering to unveil the plans at which White Gallery photographers snapped pictures of the guests against the backdrop of street art. 
“Last year we had six artists paint graffiti and this year we have four famous artists offering their perceptions of Samyan Mitrtown,” Pattira said.

Pitchaya takes her inspiration from architects’ blueprints.

Pitchaya explained how she interpreted the “smart mixed-use” approach in the form of lines as seen on the project blueprint. The words “Smart, Office, Building” are printed across her creation in a harmonious way to reflect how Samyan Mitrtown fits well with the city. 
“It’s been very challenging, but fun, to create art for this project,” she said. “Putting up a canvas boundary instead of normal fencing means that art can make the area more interesting. I’ve used colours inspired by photos of New York City – vibrant and lively, yet at the same time dark with shadows – to give the idea of a huge metropolis and advanced technology.”

Akkarapon compares learning to playing outside the classroom.

Akkarapon sought to depict different generations of people co-existing in “a learning space outside the classroom”, among books, sports and other activities. 
“Normally at a construction site you see a dumpy green fence, but Samyan Mitrtown has all this creative and colourful artwork, which not only makes it more attractive but also 
 encourages an appreciation of art.”
Akkarapon likened learning to playing, especially if it takes place “outside the box”. 
“When diverse thoughts link together, it brings out people’s different characteristics and helps people live more harmoniously.”

Jeep Kongdechakul has passers-by drooling with gorgeous renderings of food. 

Jeep has rendered images of mouth-watering food to represent the Eating Library. 
“Food these days is no longer merely one of the four fundamental human needs – it’s become a fun part of our lifestyle,” she said. “And street food is mobile, with tasty dishes sold at beautiful and creatively designed outlets, just like the Samyan Mitrtown project itself.” 

Pomm Chan sets out to make the district more cheerful.

Pomme Chan brings out the idea of smart living. 
“The lines and forms in my piece represent a complex electrical system. When the electricity reaches the users, it makes our lives more convenient and comfortable. This piece is rather abstract, but it has a modern look and vivid colours to represent positive energy, and the patterns lend a friendly vibe. 
“Art isn’t just for galleries – it should be public art and make our town look cheerful.”

WHAT’S IN STORE
The Bt8.5-billion Samyan Mitrtown project covers 222,000 square metres on Rama IV Road. 
Its retail zone will be the Urban Life Library, occupying nearly a third of the area and including shops, a multipurpose hall and a large rooftop garden. 
The office zone in the 32-floor Intelligence Office Tower will be another 48,000sqm and boast cutting-edge innovations.  
The 33-floor residential zone called the Neo Explorer Living Platform will be a hotel and condominium with state-of-the-art facilities, the two uses separated for privacy and security.