SAROOT SUPASUTHIVECH
Born and raised in Bangkok, Saroot Supasuthivech received his BFA in mixedmedia arts from Silpakorn University. His work often combines installation, image, and sound to construct intensely sensorial hyperrealities that reimagine a range of localities, merging both chronologies and perspectives. “My areas of interest are beliefs, rituals, and history,” he explains.
In 2022 he worked with Thailand’s renowned Nova Contemporary gallery on his River Kwai series, which focuses on how a remote region of Thailand has been divorced from its heritage and transformed into a spectacle for official interests, while also highlighting the impact of historically inaccurate representations, such as the film The Bridge on the River Kwai, and their effect on local self-perception. A mix of 4K digital video with audio, and resin with marble sculpture, it was first exhibited at Art Basel Hong Kong 2022 (which also marked the beginning of Nova’s official representation of Saroot), and later at the Künstlerhaus Bethanien in Berlin.
More recently, this 32-year-old artist had his work Spirit-forward in G Major – which incorporates the use of VR glasses during the final segment – on view as part of the ‘Passages’ programme at the NTU Center of Contemporary Art, Singapore. “I was selected to be in NTU CCA SEA Air Cycle 2, which granted the opportunity for me to join the residency programme at Künstlerhaus Bethanien in Berlin. This experience significantly contributed to my development, not only in an artistic way but also in terms of my future direction.”
Looking ahead, Saroot says he intends to “explore and develop the concept of integrating Western fairy tale structures with Eastern narrative styles” and adds that his work River Kwai: A Memorial Service is Held in Memory of the Deceased has been chosen by SEA Focus 2024 to be part of the Singapore Art Museum collection.