Somsed

An abandoned public property, unused for years, transformed into a place aimed at the local community: Somsed Temporary Cultural Center.
A free space for individuals and associations, where to gather and to collaborate for common goals.
A place where to present a different idea of doing and thinking, characterized by non commercial - consumeristic usage.
The Somsed Center - created for Thailand Biennale 2021 - was a new place for the Korat citizens where they had the opportunity to organize workshops, lectures, exhibitions and different activities addressed to the local community. 

The goal was to highlight what is the potential of art towards society, especially in terms of inspiring, exchanging, sharing and learning.
All the activities were free for the participants and funded to the promoters.
A socio-cultural experiment to challenge new ways of conviviality and doing together embracing people from all the generations and backgrounds.

The word “Somsed” in Thai language means tapir, which is a symbol related to the concept of “mixture”. Indeed Thai people believe that god used different parts of other animals to create the tapir. So the name of this project takes inspiration from an animal that is very representative of the Thailand natural eco-system, and, at the same time, from a concept that immediately gives an idea of mixture, that is the core of the whole artistic intervention.

Somsed Temporary Cultural Center 
a project for Thailand Biennale 2021

curated by: Yuko Hasegawa
co-curated by: Vipash Purichanont, Seiha Kurosawa, Tawatchai Somkong
commissioned by: OCAC (Office for Contemporary Art, MInistry of Cultiure of Thailand) and Thailand Biennale Committee
artist asssistant: Silvia Piantini
local coordinator: Chawanaphong Jasuwan (Pipe)
local supervisor: Jiraju Waiwudhi (Byu)
Somsed caretaker: Siraphop Phongsubthada (Oat)
a collaboration with: Korat City

Project supported by the Italian Council (9th edition, 2020), program to promote Italian contemporary art in the world by the Directorate-General for Contemporary Creativity of the Italian Ministry of Culture