Studio 88 collaborates with Art for Air Festival 2023

Studio 88 Artist Residency is participating in the Art for Air Festival, Chiang Mai, with a special residency, an exhibition, a public talk and an online programme. Join us for our public programme in Chiang Mai in March 2023.

Climate change is one of the greatest challenges of our times and the increasingly poor air quality in cities around the world is, rightfully, getting a lot of attention. This is especially the case in Chiang Mai, which suffers from a decade-long smog and pollution problem due to high levels of PM_2.5. In northern Thailand the biggest causes of poor air are smoke from vehicles, factories, construction, garden burning, agricultural and forest fires. Chiang Mai is trying to address the problem, encouraging city residents to reduce the use of their cars. But more needs to be done.

Artists have increasingly tackled these issues of poor air quality, such as Thai artist Ruangsak Anuwatwimon’s “Right to Clean Air–The Art Exhibition” at the Bangkok Art and Culture Center, which featured installations of dust from air pollution gathered from the country’s most polluted provinces, or British artist Michael Pinsky’s “pollution pods” that immerses audiences in the air from some of the world’s most polluted cities, to name just a few examples.

Inspired by these projects we asked, how can we create a dialogue between different experiences of, and artistic responses to, the air we all breathe?

We didn’t have to look far to find partners in Chiang Mai already working in this space. Art for Air, founded in 2019, is a group of artists and activists who want to draw attention to the harmful impact of poor air quality. The current year-long edition brings together artists, curators and art spaces, in Chiang Mai and beyond, to demonstrate the power of civil society to advocate for change. Studio 88 joined the festival with a special residency, an exhibition, and a public talk, bringing together a diverse range of artists and community members to explore the possible responses and solutions to this contemporary challenge.

In the coming weeks we will also announce our online programme, so you can participate even if you can’t make it to Chaing Mai. Sign up to our newsletter to find out more.

The AiR We Breathe residency at Studio 88

Starting in February, Studio 88 will be hosting a number of artists who focus on the topic of air quality. In February artist Jacob Black will be spending time in Doi Saket, on the outskirts of Chiang Mai, exploring air through participatory projects and explorations.

There will be a second in-person residency in May 2023, applications are still open until 15 April 2023!

Exhibition at Studio 88

In 11 March – 2 April 2023 Studio 88 will be putting on an exhibition at the Studio 88 space (Doi Saket).

Exhibition opening: 11 March 2023, 11am

Curated by U Bat Sat – visual artist, curator and Art for Air committee member – the exhibition brings together international and Thai artists who explore a range of themes, such as burning, water, forests, air particles and the sound of the breath.

Artists:

Pisithpong Siraphisut, multidisciplinary artist (Thailand/USA)
Sornsak Sakbodin, photographer (Thailand)
Juno Benyapa Janssen, visual artist (Thailand)
Claire Rosslyn Wilson, videopoet (Australia/Spain) & Ross McLennan, sound artist (Australia)
Jacob Black, photographer (UK)
Samran Thongprig, mixed media sculptor (Thailand)
Siriwat Meunpiew, video artist (Thailand)
Manon Wada, interdisciplinary artist (USA)
Wanlop Hansanthai, artist (Thailand)
Annelie Hendriks, artist (Netherlands/Thailand)
Kavin Pramesiripaisan, photographer (Thailand)

Public talk at Dream Space Gallery

From 2pm to 4pm on Sunday 12 March 2023, Studio 88, in partnership with Dream Space Gallery, Chiang Mai, is hosting a public talk on the theme of art, creativity and air quality. Gathering multidisciplinary speakers, the talk will explore what we mean when we talk about air quality and the ways in which art can deepen our connection to the world around us.

Speakers:

Kamin Lertchaiprasert, artist and founding member of the Art for Air (welcome remarks)
Monk from Umong Temple in Chiang Mai
Preu Oh Do Chao, Pakakayor tribal leader
Dr. Krittai Tanasombatkul, doctor at the Clinical Epidemiology and Clinical Statistics Centre at Chiang Mai University
Claire Rosslyn Wilson, poet and researcher
Associate Professor Panich Intra, Electro-Aerosol Instrument Laboratory (EAIL), Research Unit of Applied Electric Field in Engineering (RUEE), the College of Integrated Science and Technology, Rajamangala University of Technology Lanna, Chiang Mai

Session moderated by