A site-specific art exhibition
the play: space drawing
By Paramodel
A Japanese duo plays with toys,
toys with an imaginative paradise.
[Opening] 5:00 pm Saturday 26 November 2016
[Duration] Saturday 26 November – Sunday 25 December 2016
[Venue] Thong Lor Art Space
[Organized by]
The Japan Foundation, Bangkok
Thong Lor Art Space
paramodelic-grafitti (2012)
Tokyo Station Gallery, Tokyo, Japan
©Paramodel
A paradoxical paradise in a parallel world
How to make a paramodel. (2012), APT7
Queensland Art Gallery / Gallery of Modern Art Brisbane, Australia © Paramodel
The Japan Foundation, Bangkok and Thong Lor Art Space proudly presented a site-specific art exhibition “the play: space drawing” by the renowned Japanese artist collective; Paramodel.
Paramodel is an art collective run by Yasuhiko Hayashi (b. 1971) and Yusuke Nakano (b. 1976) since 2001. Their title is essentially a manifesto in sum – fusing the words Paradise, Paradox and Model. In addition, it plays upon the Japanese word Puramoderu (toy plastic dioramas). They produce photography, sculpture, painting and video, much of which is born out of large-scale installations that engage with different kinds of spaces and deal with the various polarities that exist in everyday life. The artists often use familiar toys like blue plastic rails, miniature cars and plastic models as materials, as well as motifs, in order to create blueprints of paradise whilst underscoring life’s paradoxes, which can be seen in parallel as three-dimensional graffiti, diorama, drawing, mural or landscape.
This time, one of the Paramodel members, Yasuhiko Hayashi, had stayed in Bangkok for one month to draw the three-dimensional spaces of Thong Lor Art Space with gigantic numbers of ready-made industrial pipes and “plarails” [blue plastic rails]. Their signature materials – pipes and plarails – had brought a magnificent visual impact, which also invited audiences to rejoice in imagination. It might look like a construction-site, but also paradoxically like a paradise, or like a visualization of multi-layered network society. This exhibition was indeed another amusement for Bangkok’s special Christmas decoration in that year.
Paramodel has been widely shown in Japan, Korea, China, Taiwan, Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam, Australia, the US, France, Switzerland and Lithuania, but was first time to be shown in Thailand.
For the opening event of “the play: space drawing” exhibition, we had a special talk with Yasuhiko Hayashi; one of the Paramodel duo, moderated by Mary Pansanga. Yasuhiko Hayashi gave a talk about his site specific working process; designing and creating to fit especially for Thong Lor Art Space’s entire 1st floor black box during to his one-month stay in Bangkok. After the talk, Yasuhiko Hayashi took all audiences for an exhibition tour.
Artist profile
Paramodel
An art unit formed in 2001 by Yasuhiko Hayashi (Fine Arts Graduate from the Kyoto City University of Arts) and Yusuke Nakano (a Nihonga [Japanese-style painting] graduate from the same university). They work and live in Osaka/Kyoto, Japan.
https://www.moriyu-gallery.com/artists/profile.html?artist_id=3&l=en
Exhibition Summary
Opening
Saturday 26 November 2016
Registration 4:30 pm
Artist talk and exhibition tour 5:00 pm
Duration
Saturday 26 November – Sunday 25 December 2016
2pm – 9pm, closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays
Free admission
Venue
Thong Lor Art Space (1F Studio)
Site-specific art workshop by paramodel
Yasuhiko Hayashi of paramodel went to give a brief lecture and workshop on his work and his methods on creating a site-specific art piece. Most of the participants for this workshop are students from the Faculty of Fine and Applied Arts, Khon Kaen University and Mahasarakham University.
Date: Wednesday 11th January, 2016
Venue
Faculty of Fine and Applied Arts, Khon Kaen University
In media:
https://www.facebook.com/ThaiPBSFan/videos/10157949955510085/?hc_ref=PAGES_TIMELINE
Articles about the exhibition:
https://www.livingasean.com/explore/play-space-drawing-paramodel/
https://art4d.com/2016/11/play-space-drawing
https://artasiapacific.com/Magazine/WebExclusives/ThePlaySpaceDrawing
Organized by
Supported by
Registration at the opening of the play: space drawing exhibition at Thong Lor Art Space.
Yasuhiko Hayashi accompanied by moderator; Mary Pansanga, giving a lecture on his works as the artist unit; paramodel.
Yasuhiko Hayashi giving a lecture on his works as the artist unit; paramodel.
Audiences viewing the exhibition on the opening tour.
Audiences viewing the exhibition on the opening tour.
the play: space drawing exhibition at Thong Lor Art Space
the play: space drawing exhibition at Thong Lor Art Space
the play: space drawing exhibition at Thong Lor Art Space
the play: space drawing exhibition at Thong Lor Art Space
the play: space drawing exhibition at Thong Lor Art Space
the play: space drawing exhibition at Thong Lor Art Space
the play: space drawing exhibition at Thong Lor Art Space
Yasuhiko Hayashi of paramodel giving a brief lecture and workshop on his work and his methods on creating a site-specific art piece at Faculty of Fine and Applied Arts, Khon Kaen University
Yasuhiko Hayashi explaining the students the use of “plarail” in his works.
Students try creating their own artwork with “plarails”
Discussion and feedbacks during the workshop
Creation from the students during the workshop
Creation from the students during the workshop
Additional function to the artwork