The Changing Tide

Prach Pimarnman explores the impact of urbanisation on fishing communities through art.

Born in Bangkok but raised in Narathiwat, artist Prach Pimarnman is interested in immigration and diversity. His solo exhibition “From Nomad To Nowhere” was inspired by his upbringing in the fishing community of Balik Hilay.

Prach explained: “I grew up in a community which had a fish market. My father would take me sailing in a korlae, a type of southern fishing boat. I learned that fishermen knew du lum, an ancient art of diving to listen to fish sounds. They can predict whether it will rain based on the type of clouds. They are also skilled in observing waves, wind and directions.

“My debut solo exhibition ‘Orang Siyae, Oghae Nayu’ and the previous exhibition ‘Saen Saep’ share the same theme of exploring immigration and discovering identity among people in different areas.”

From Nomad To Nowhere” features four sculptures, an installation and an experimental documentary. Since Prach enjoys views from high places, especially from airplanes, all four sculptures were inspired by a bird’s-eye view using Google Maps which provide expansive views of cityscapes. Each sculpture’s title includes its longitude and latitude on Google Maps, so that viewers can search its location.

The sculpture Pula (Island) (6.4351795, 101.8285401) features four art pieces to depict Pula, which is a small island in Narathiwat.

“According to a story of Pula Island, fishermen moved from a village located on the other side of Pula Island due to floods. At first, eight to 10 houses were constructed by anchoring pillars in the water to create floating homes. After that, it gradually expanded into a village,” said Prach.

Prach uses materials such as seashells, fishing nets, red bricks, talcum powder and charcoal powder to convey his message.

“Red bricks are manmade and used in construction so they represent a developing and growing city,” he said. “On Pula Island, red bricks are crushed into powder to symbolise the destruction of the city. Seashells in the exhibition were collected from those thrown away by vendors at beaches. They were crushed into powder to represent the sea.

“The black material in the artwork is charcoal made from mangrove wood to symbolise the city and the sea and the impact of their interaction. A collage technique was also used with fishing nets of various sizes and wire mesh. These materials were transformed by being woven, cut, repaired and layered.”

White clay is a material that Prach has worked with since he was an art student. As it is affordable, he experimented with mixing white clay, unpolished rice and various amounts of glue to explore different textures and effects.

“White clay is a material I continually use in my artwork although it does not appear much in this exhibition,” Prach said.

Kampong Rumohapee (Village Light House) (6.4431094, 101.8244366) is the largest sculpture, measuring 200cm by 800cm. It was inspired by a fishing community next to Narathat beach.

“I talked to local people in the community and they told me that they initially built their houses along the riverside. After that, a government organisation ordered them to move out of the area. They were informed that sand would be dredged from the river to fill the land. After the land was filled, the government organisation allowed people to return to the same area, but they had to pay rent,” Prach explained.

Although urban growth has brought development, it has changed the lives of fishermen. In the past, they could dock their boats behind their homes, but now, they have to find other places to moor boats. The younger generation has also become less connected to the sea. In the future, it will be difficult to explore local culture and history. Areas that once were hubs for selling fish, fish processing and boat building have changed. In the future, we may also no longer see korlae boats.”

Since development has affected many fishermen, some decided to quit and move to new areas. This situation inspired Prach to create the sculpture Kampong Baru (New City) (6.4449565, 101.8192214).

Bukit (Mountain) (6.4458968, 101.8181669) is a sculpture that reflects change in a fishing community caused by mountain destruction.

The installation Storm features a transparent box with two fan motors. Inside the box is white clay, ground bricks, ground seashells and charcoal powder. The first fan blows materials in the box away and the second fan acts like nature which brings everything that has floated away back together.

The experimental documentary Sand And See or Muea Mong Jak Talay Mai Hen Chai Fang (From The Sea, We Cannot See The Shore) showcases how important fishermen are and difficulties that they encounter.

“I titled the documentary in Thai to indicate that fishermen can tell directions by observing the mountains, trees, sky and stars. If there are no mountains, they can see only the sea. There used to be a mountain that acted as a natural windbreak shielding the city from storms but since the mountain was demolished for coastal development, disaster can now strike the city. If we keep blowing up mountains to fill the sea, one day there will be no mountains left.”

The documentary features videos of a sand dredger, a breakwater and landscapes of the sea and the community. The documentary soundtrack begins with likay hulu, a traditional Muslim folk music performance.

“The song expresses connections between fishermen and the sea. Additionally, the video features an interview with a fisherman of Chinese descent. Most people may not expect Muslims to have Chinese ethnicity but there is diversity. The fisherman explains techniques used to listen to fish, find fish spots, navigate by the stars and talks about the struggles of fishermen.”

Prach hopes to be a voice for the fishing village in Narathiwat, so the community can remain.

“In addition to this exhibition, I am working on research under the name of my art gallery De’ Lapae Art Space Narathiwat. The gallery encourages the community to engage with art and has hosted artists in residency programmes. A Japanese artist and an Indonesian artist participated in the programme and created artwork related to the community. I hope that there will be more academics conducting research on other issues related to the fishing community.”

“From Nomad To Nowhere” runs at Warin Lab Contemporary, Charoen Krung 36 until Nov 30. Admission is free. For more information, visit facebook.com/WarinLabContemporary.

Article Credit to Bangkok Post
https://www.bangkokpost.com/life/arts-and-entertainment/2908245/the-changing-tide.