The Bangkok Art Biennale (BAB) Foundation presents The Spirits of Maritime Crossing, a group exhibition by artists from Southeast Asia examining the themes of displacement, diaspora, and colonialism through the lens of the ocean curated by Prof. Dr. Apinan Poshyananda, Artistic Director of Bangkok Art Biennale.
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Many of these works portray indigenous histories and voices, while commenting on the environmental impact of colonialism. Khvay Samnang’s video work examines hegemony and deforestation in Cambodia in a story of local worship inspired by Ramayana, an ancient poem. Yee I-Lann’s film depicts a collaboration with weavers and local sea-based communities to revive ancestral knowledge and celebrate maritime and indigenous histories in Malaysia. Jakkai Siributr uses textiles to provide commentary on ethnic cleansing in the region, through intricate embroideries created together with asylum seekers. Performance artist Moe Satt uses his body as a space of identity and estrangement to suggest survival of sectarian violence in his homeland of Myanmar. Priyageetha Dia’s video of the deep sea examines ancestral migratory movements from India to the Malay Peninsula. Kawita Vatanajyankur creates a performance with foamy blue dye to highlight female labor in the patriarchal society and the role of water in the context of femininity and the textile industry. Finally, Truong Cong Tung shows an installation of gourds that draw upon mystical ritual and indigenous mythologies.
