Plight of invisible migrants made visual in ‘Phantoms And Aliens’
The general ignorance towards discrimination and alienation in our society is the subject matter for an exhibition titled “Phantoms And Aliens | The Invisible Other (Chapter 1)” which is being held at Richard Koh Projects until March 28.
The exhibition features documentaries, photography, oral history, paintings, mixed-media works, and video installations by Thai female artist Ampannee Satoh which explore another subtler dimension of invisibility alongside otherworldly beings — the social invisibility of discrimination and alienation.
A highlight of the exhibition is Without Lightness, a video installation from Ampannee’s Lost Motherland series, which was shot while she was on board a fisherman’s boat on a routine fishing trip at night along the shores of Pattani where many Rohingya seek refuge from war-torn Myanmar.
The act of sailing in and out of Pattani’s harbour resonates the forced boat journey many refugees embark on when they leave their country and enter a new harbour searching for refuge.
The exhibition is designed to be the first chapter of a triptych which will simultaneously unfold across Richard a video installation by Ampannee Satoh.
Koh’s three galleries located in Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, and Singapore.
The triptych is aimed at reflecting the sad truth of how people or communities that live on the margins — because of ethnic, gender, religious or cultural differences — have been considered the invisible others in society.
For many, these individuals are but phantoms, alienated from the wider
society. Even though they exist, they are invisible.
Richard Koh Projects is located on the 3rd floor of N22 Art Warehouse, Narathiwat Ratchanakharin Soi 22 and is open from Tuesday to Saturday from 11am to 7pm.