WHETHER IT IS ART OR NOT
TYPE
Single-channel video, 16:9, Sound, Color, 32:07 min.
YEAR
2017
PLACE
NEVERNEVERLAND, Amsterdam Bangkok City City Gallery
This short documentary, directed by Belle Phromchanya, explores the life of Amsterdam-based Thai artist Chavalit Soemprungsuk (b. 1939). Phromchanya, who moved to the Netherlands in 2011, discovered the acclaimed artist living in the same city. The film delves into Soemprungsuk’s lifelong dilemmas: navigating two cultures, his dedication to art amidst societal constraints, the choice between fame and solitude, and the blurred boundaries between physical and digital realities. Through a series of informal conversations with the senior artist, Whether It Is Art or Not invites viewers on a personal journey of self-discovery through art and the creative process.
Since 2015, Soemprungsuk has been a key subject in Phromchanya's research on art, life, and death in the digital era. Her initial observations culminated in the creation of this short film and a publication by STUDIO150. The project premiered at NEVERNEVERLAND in Amsterdam and at Bangkok CityCity Gallery, supported by the Amsterdam Fonds voor de Kunst.
It has been exhibited at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) Bangkok, Bangkok Art and Culture Centre (BACC), and W139.
Premiere at Bangkok CityCity Gallery
Whether it is Art or Not, Publication by STUDIO150Whether it is Art or Not Teaser
Premiere at NEVERNEVERLAND Amsterdam
CREDITS
Director & Editor: Belle Phromchanya
Sound Mix: Christoph Scherbaum
Music: "Long Time No Sea" by The Missing Channel
Translation: Suphakarn Varinpramote, Darunee Terdtoontaveedej
PRESS & INFO
→ Bangkok CityCity Gallery
→ art4d magazine: interview by Rebecca Vickers
→ Publication by STUDIO150