Spirit; Vanished, 2024, 20 mins, 4K
Exhibited at Queensway Television7 Dec – 31 Dec 2024
Opening Reception 7 Dec 2024, 8pm
In Spirit; Vanished, Taiki Sakpisit resculpted materials collected across several trips to Northeastern Thailand in 2022, drawing from familiar sights to create a fresh new journey into another realm. Comprising scenes captured from various sites, the work presents itself as a reflection of reality as we understand in different ways. From the holy well of Kham Chanot, the ancient cave Tham Phaya Nak, drawings on temple walls, recorded television footage, a slaughterhouse and a spirit medium in trance, the artist weaved together motifs and moments that seemingly bridge our world to the next. One of such is the Naga, the half-human half-serpent mythical being central to the Thai beliefs and folklores. Commonly associated with the underworld, the holy well and the ancient cave are both said to be portals to the lair of the Naga in the underworld. Myths and legends passed down from generations continue to perpetuate the psyche of Thai people, just as how regular television programming functions as a vehicle of delivery to propagate carefully-crafted messages and imagery to the mentality of the masses. These are contrasted against shots of a spirit medium in the state of trance, as the artist sought to capture the precise moment when the medium entered an altered state of consciousness. The audience seemingly also enters a different state of mind as scenes of a slaughterhouse appear upside-down in slow transitions, marking a shift into a different dimension. Be it imperceptible changes taking place over time or a sudden shift in conditions, one is no longer the same as what one was before. In revisiting these recordings made when conducting research for the artist traces his own consciousness from the time of these trips, while simultaneously embarking on a different journey as his present self. Through sound and imagery, Sakpisit invites the audience alongside this trip, presenting this video as the portal into an alternate realm. (Queensway Television)