An amorphous sculpture of a Thai man holding a doll-sized, but otherwise lifelike, Adolf Hitler puppet provocatively greets visitors to Bangkok’s Museum of Contemporary Art—MOCA. Behind Hitler, a wall of diminutive, realistic renderings of former heads of state include Gandhi, Abraham Lincoln and Winston Churchill side-by-side with Stalin, Mao and Saddam Hussein. In viewing these pieces, I wanted to know what the artist intended. Was the choice meant to strike a balance of good versus evil? Or was he saying the three symbols of freedom and three despots were more alike than different? That all leaders, intentionally or inadvertently, create bondage? There are pieces of art that stay with me forever because they touch me emotionally with their beauty. And then there are those pieces I reflect on often because they stimulate my mind, help me crystallize my own world view. These pieces in MOCA fall into the latter category.
Adjacent to the two unnerving displays, a bit of levity is in evidence: A life-sized Salvador Dali wearing an elaborate Thai crown holds his paint palette behind a chair and a mirror. “Sit down,” the museum guard urged me. My friend Evan snapped photos of my reflection as I perched uncomfortably, my body still in visceral reaction to the works we’d just seen.
The paintings and sculptures of two of Thailand’s National Artists fill the remaining halls on the first of five floors of MOCA. As we continued through the museum, Evan and I noticed the repetition of imagery and motifs—Buddhas, skulls, horned demons, lots of breasts—in many of the works. Modern art in Thailand was largely nurtured under the guidance of Professor Silpa Bhirasri (born Corrado Feroci in Florence), who introduced European techniques to Thailand and helped establish the country’s first university dedicated to the visual arts in 1934. Viewing the impressionism, post-impressionism and hybrid realism works of Thai artists is reminiscent of watching Balanchine’s muses perform his ballets—there is an unmistakable style within the unique, individual interpretations.
My visit to MOCA was one of the highlights of my time in Bangkok. The building itself, to me, is a work of art. The outside grounds are scattered with sculptures—Buddhas, birds, the Hindu god Ganesha—an enormous abstract rendering of a lotus flower rising from a pool that runs the length of the building. Both the interior and exterior feature a lot of white on white, shapes that are discernible only from certain angles, an overall design that elicits a feeling of coolness amid the often torrid art works.
The majority of MOCA’s works are by Thai artists. But I found a delightful surprise among the small sampling of international artists—several pieces by Lancaster, Pennsylvania, photographer Tom Chambers.
Located somewhere in the outskirts of Bangkok, MOCA is a schlepp—50 minutes by motorbike, and much longer via any other form of transportation—from central Bangkok. Considering Bangkok’s abundance of sights—temples, floating markets, the royal palace—MOCA is an inconvenient visit. But well worth the time spent getting there.
Ah. Sounds lovely. Great memory for you.
Love the interesting photo with the mirror!