Warin Lab all set to kick off trash-to-art exhibition
Warin Lab Contemporary is opening its first exhibition “Overflow – From Trash to Art” at its newly renovated art space in a 100-year-old residence-turned-art-space in the culturally rich area of Charoenkrung Road Soi 36, it announced in a press release.
With its focus on the environment in 2021, the exhibition reflects on waste accumulation while introducing the idea of continual use of the same resources.
Based on the notion of a circular economy, Overflow points out that the same product can be used longer through recycling, upcycling, repairing and refurbishment in order to create a closed-loop system by minimising the use of new resources.
Artist Wishulada Panthanuvong has created a site-specific installation made primarily from consumer waste. The entire exhibition room from wall to floor is covered with water bottle plastic caps, aluminium drink cans, wrappers of snacks and household products and various types of aluminium and plastic waste.
“The artist places grandiose articles, all of which are made of waste materials, such as a functional sofa, table, ceiling lamps and hanging sculptures inside the space with the intention that viewers can have a pleasant time in this invented living room,” the press statement said.
“Overflow – From Trash to Art creates a paradoxical condition where people can have a pleasant time in a room filled with trash.
From the outset, the installation provokes the feeling of inundation from the mountains of waste we collectively create on a daily basis. On a more profound level, it instigates a regenerative approach to repurpose waste materials instead of abandoning them,” it said.
As part of the exhibition, Warin Lab Contemporary is engaging with the local community around Charoenkrung Soi 36 and Wat Muang Kae to separate, collect and hand in their garbage as art materials. The art space also involves the community’s assistance in creating five ceiling lamps from the collected materials. Once the lamps are turned upside down, they will become usable colour-coded garbage bins for the community’s waste management initiative.
Apart from community’s involvement, Warin Lab Contemporary is also soliciting trash donations from corporations, which encourage their employees to separate, collect and contribute reusable garbage from their office and home to the art installation. Corporations which have donated trash for the exhibition include Bangkok Glass, Central Pattana, Chevron (Thailand), Makao Restaurant, Siam Cement, Siam Commercial Bank, Michelin ROH and Omise.
Wishulada has also received trash donated from the public through her online outreach.
Overflow – From Trash to Art will be open to the public from January 23 to March 21, 2021.
The exhibition will also offer an educational workshop on February 6, run by Wishulada, to create a functional item from upcycling daily waste.
In addition, an artist’s talk with TV presenter-cum-activist Wannasingh Prasertkul will take place on February 20. Those interested can visit Warin Lab’s Instagram account or Facebook page to get more information and book a seat for the workshop and the talk.
