The Ancestors

The Ancestors

Artists: Busui Ajaw, Chien-Pei Chen, Chin-Yun Kuo, En-Man Chang, Jedsada Tangtrakulwong and Pinaree Sanpitak

Curator:Kohkae Collective

At: Gallery 5 and 6 MAIIAM Contemporary Art Museum, Chiangmai, Thailand

Exhibition period: 2 November 2024 - 17 February 2025

Opening Reception on 2 November 2024, 5.30 onwards

Event schedule:

5.30 PM: Curator tour / public audience and press

6 PM: Welcome speech by Mr. Eric Booth, co-founder and director of MAIIAM Contemporary Art Museum

6.15 PM: Speech by Mr. Kuei, Yeh-Chin, Director of Culture Division, Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Thailand

6.30 PM onwards: Opening reception (refreshments and food will be provided

The exhibition features a diverse body of works, ranging from painting to multi screen video installations. It places the works of Pinaree Sanpitak, Busui Ajaw, and Jedsada Tangtrakulwong from MAIIAM Contemporary Art Museum’s collection in conversation with selected works by Taiwanese artists Chien-Pei Chen, Chin-Yun Kuo, and En-Man Chang. The Ancestors nurtures a dialogue that spans across seas and species, expanding the notion of kinship to consider connections not solely bound by blood, but by interactions within an ecosystem at a particular time.

Taking inspiration from American anthropologist Donna Haraway, the exhibition draws on the concept of natureculture, which seeks to unsettle anthropological notions of kinship that prioritize bloodlines as the primary vehicle for the transmission of culture.

The exhibition questions the idea of culture as a narrative written from a single perspective. At the same time, It challenges the concept that only humans preserve traditions, suggesting that the ancestors (those who came before) and descendants(those who came after) are not exclusive to our species but include other beings.

The Ancestors exhibition is made possible by the facilitation of MAIIAM Contemporary Art Museum, with the generous support of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Thailand and the Taiwan Ministry of Culture.

The Ancestors public programs

1. Artist Talk: Cetus Chin-Yun Kuo

Date: December 11, 2024

Time: 2–4 PM

Venue: Humanities and Sustainability (International Program) Building, Chiang Mai University​

The event will be conducted in English.

Cetus Chin-Yun Kuo, a contemporary artist from Taichung, Taiwan, focuses her practice on researching the conflict zone between colonial power and indigenous frontier. In this artist talk, she will address her previous research on the Blank zone in the mountainous area of Taiwan and her current research on 2 KMT military dependents villages in the Zomia area following the Chinese Civil War in Thailand.

Enmen Chang

1. Cooking Cinavu with CHANG En-Men

Date: 14 December 2024
Time: 2–4 PM
Venue: MAIIAM Contemporary Art Museum
Capacity: 20 participants

Taiwanese artist CHANG En-Men explores the relationship between snails and human landscapes in the Paiwan community. This workshop, inspired by her Snail Paradise Trilogy: Setting Sail or Final Chapter (2021), brings the indigenous Taiwanese dish Cinavu to Thailand. Participants will learn to make this traditional steamed rice dish, typically served during special occasions, while incorporating local Thai ingredients.