TINTIN IN THAILAND
As part of the opening of the Bangkok Biennial (the grassroots art festival created by anonymous artists to counter the other two grand biennials coming up this year), ARTIST+RUN gallery will be launching its latest exhibition, “POOL”, by Berlin-based Thai-English artist Tintin Cooper tomorrow, 6-9pm. Tintin Cooper, whose works have been shown at Tate Britain, Transmediale Berlin and the Sydney Biennale, is known for her tongue-in-cheek humour and appropriation of pop culture, using mixed-media such as collage, light work, video and painting. In “POOL”, which runs until Aug 11, Cooper will be showcasing her new vibrant artworks, which at first glance seem to centre on a loose narration of men — perhaps celebrities and athletes — lounging about or parading around bodies of water as if on a tropical holiday. Expect to see installations, sculptures and large-scale paintings on translucent materials like film or household blinds. Working with a painting style which echoes the clean, gradient-like strokes of digital brushes, upon closer inspection of the men’s distorted reflections you may discover something much more sinister. Her piece Phone Call (2018), for example, is reminiscent of the colourful, curated images of celebrity Instagram posts. In this painting, a boy, talking coyly on his mobile phone, is undercut by a demon hiding in the tropical foliage behind him. Like any reflection, “POOL” seems to open a portal into another world. Whether that be the world of unconsciousness, death and rebirth, deep emotions or sexual undercurrents, that’s for viewers to find out.
“POOL” by Tintin Cooper, July 21-Aug 11, ARTIST+RUN Gallery, 2198/10-11 Soi Taweewattana (Narathiwas 22), Chong Nonsi, Yan Nawa, Bangkok 10120, Thailand. Open every day, 1pm-6pm.