Without waiting for her reply
A Video Installation
2014, USF-visningsrommet, Bergen Norway
Installation containing two wooden constructions, a video projection, weight sensors, 2 channel - synced video loop 40’’ and sound
Without Waiting for her Reply (or WWFHR), an immersive installation containing a live stream of the landscape captured by a rotating web cam, weight sensors, synced video loop 40’’ and sound. For this project we’ve built the first Internet tower in my childhood village Baan Tow Hai in the North East of Thailand, to be able to activate (live-stream) a landscape at a distance. In collaboration I assembled a space which explores the oral and embodied storytelling culture from my childhood village through video and traditional folk songs. The exhibition took place during Norwegian night time, so that the visitor could see the sunrise in real time in Thailand. The intention was to create an immersive space where one could feel the time passing in the village. The amount of visitors/presence in the space, determined the rotation of the webcam in Thailand, so that the framing of the video projection on the screen was directly related to the visitors presence.
Beside the real time video projection of the landscape with the rising sun. There was also a synced video under the roof of the rest house. I had my neighbour and the Maw Lam band she was a part of performs songs, the songs tells about courtship customs and marriage in the village, as well as dowry and other economic factors. These songs functioned as soundtracks to other day to day activities, such as planting rice, cleaning fish nets, washing and sorting mushrooms, and village chit chat. The pace was repetitive, and slow, an attempt to embody the rhythm of every day in this specific place.
The wood structures are based on Thai rest houses, the 2 channel video showed on one side images of repetitive everyday actions, and the village band performing traditional Maw Lam songs and on the other side, text translating the conversations during the activities and translations of the songs.
There is a text written by Esther Tuypens, a research fellow at FWO, which aims to introduce some of the themes and thoughts related to the exhibition at USF. The text was part of an ongoing conversation between Esther Tuypens and Apichaya Wanthiang. To read it, click the link below:
- Download text
The Exhibition Team
Architect: Cristian Stefanescu
IT-developer: Sindre Sorensen
Electronic developer: Roar Sletteland
Construction: Eirik Solheim, Markus Moestue
The exhibition was kindly supported by Bergen Senter for Elektroniske Kunst (BEK), Bergen Kommune and the Arts Council Norway.
Photo credit: Apichaya Wanthiang