Slam on "Isaan Retrospective". Anyone been to it?

[gummigut]

Here's a reprint of a letter to the editor.

 

Checkout WHO wrote it!

 

Letters to the Editor

 

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Published on Dec 24, 2005

 

Practices that would enrage Thais if committed abroad ought not be allowed here.

 

On a recent visit to Thailand, I had the deeply disturbing opportunity to experience the inaugural exhibition at the Thailand Creative and Design Centre, ?Isaan Retrospective: Deprivation, Creativity and Design?. I was only able to stay a short while, not because I had limited time, but because the exhibition was so offensive that I was physically nauseated and had to make my way through as quickly as possible.

 

From its opening gallery that requires visitors to tread on images of men and women from Isaan ? surely as grave an insult as any Thai could be subjected to ? to its caricatures of Isaan culture and propagation of the worst stereotypes of Isaan people, the exhibition was so actively and consistently defamatory and degrading that its organisers should be ashamed of themselves.

 

As a museum professional, I felt obliged to see the exhibition through to its end, despite my feeling that it constituted an insult to the peoples of Isaan and to all the people of Thailand. Had such an exhibition been presented by a museum in Europe, Australia or the United States, the Thai press would be aflame with outrage at the affront to the dignity of Thai people ? and rightly so. That Thais themselves chose to portray their fellow citizens and neighbours in such a demeaning way should not exempt those responsible from the public condemnation they deserve.

 

If the exhibition itself were not troubling enough, a member of our party was detained by The Emporium shopping complex?s security staff and then subjected to interrogation by local police ? for no reason other than his appearance. A member of one of Thailand?s ethnic minorities, his skin is darker than that of many other Thais, and it seems that that alone was enough to make him the target of unwarranted scrutiny. As a public institution, the Thailand Creative and Design Centre needs to ensure that all its visitors may safely attend its exhibitions and events without fear of harassment or discriminatory treatment by its landlord.

 

Frank Proschan

Project director

Centre for Folklife and Cultural Heritage

 

Smithsonian Institution

Washington, DC

 

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Link

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Course, this couldn't go unresponded.

 

Response 1

 

Response 2

 

The rebuttles include: "his inability to grasp the exhibition?s sense of irony and humour, a quality abundant in Isaan cultural life, and a quintessentially Thai mode of dialogue."

 

Hmmm, humour for Isaan? Or for other Thais to feel superior??? Things to make you go hmmmm.

 

I'd like to hear comments from folks who actually been there so I know which side of the hmm I should be on. Irony? Or Superiority complex?

 

But I think you know what my thoughts are sight unseen, but I'd really like to know!!!!

 

I also like this as part of the rebuttle: "Thailand is quickly becoming both the fashion capital and the art-and-design hub of Asia, thanks to the innovative conceptual vision of dedicated professionals like deputy managing director MR Pandis Diskul and IT architect Teerapong Chaimungkla."

 

Muahahaaa.

 

Anyways. The retrospective closes tomorrow, the 1st. Crappy timing!

 

I think I'll go take a walk down there (if I can find it) and give you my opinion if I can getup after New Year celebrations.

 

<<burp>>

[khunsanuk]

Hi,

 

The second rebuttal seems to focus more on the fact that it looked nice, i.e. all the superficial trimmings were there (even a gift shop!) so how on earth could it be bad?

 

Haven't been there, nor will I, but I would tend to put more stock in the views of Smithsonian director than upper class Thais. Can't imagine too many first generation Isaan people actually went to this exhibit.

 

Sanuk!