Moulting Ensemble: A Transformative Contemporary Art Exhibition in Bangkok
Exploring humans, nature, and their metamorphosis through contemporary art at SAC Gallery Bangkok
Moulting Ensemble at SAC Gallery in Bangkok. Credits: SAC Gallery
By its very nature, art is an act of transformation. Every artistic creation involves an intentional action that generates a new semantic phenomenon, as in the case of painting or sculpture, or appropriates an existing one by altering its meaning, as in the ready-made.
Moulting Ensemble, the group exhibition held at SAC Gallery in Bangkok, makes transformation the common denominator among the three artists. Inspired by the moulting process of insects—a vulnerable stage full of growth potential—and Junichiro Tanizaki's In Praise of Shadows, which celebrates the beauty in darkness, subtlety, and imperfection, the exhibition delves into the profound meaning of transitional states. This transformation is both formal and conceptual, occurring on different levels: it begins on an individual scale, extends to the relationship with others—particularly future generations—and ultimately reaches the dynamic between humans and nature. Each of these transformations is a metamorphosis that originates within the individual but finds its urgency in our relationship with the world around us.
The Nine States of Being from Aor Sutthiprapha narrate an inner and spiritual metamorphosis. Drawing from the concept of the Enneagram, which has its roots in Sufi and Gnostic mysticism and has been adopted in the past century—like other iconographies—by psychotherapy to define different personality types, the artist explores the process of self-transformation. Historically, the Enneagram was used as a key to understanding human nature and guiding spiritual evolution toward our deepest nature, beyond the ego. Sutthiprapha’s sculptures take inspiration from this system, creating figures that are both fragile and totemic. These abstract yet organic forms, reminiscent of delicate chrysalises, feature what seems to be a diaphanous surface brought to life through meticulous painting, as if ready to open and reveal a new self.
Aor Sutthiprapha, The Nine States of Being. Credits: SAC Gallery
Aor Sutthiprapha, The Nine States of Being. Credits: SAC Gallery
Jarasporn Chumsri shifts the metamorphosis to the realm of interpersonal relationships and traditions. Using the fable The Three Little Pigs, the artist invites us to reinterpret this children’s classic through a contemporary lens, prompting reflection on how we can preserve nature for future generations. Are the forests described over a century ago by Joseph Jacobs still as pristine as they once were? Or have they lost their purity over time, as the story has been passed down, generation after generation? Chumsri takes ownership of the narrative, adapting it to the present day, and stages a performance in which she embodies a maternal figure to the audience, raising awareness of the environmental changes we are witnessing today.
Jarasporn Chumsri, The Third House: A Living Tale. Credits: SAC Gallery
Jarasporn Chumsri, Live Studio. Credits: SAC Gallery
Finally, Praiya Ketkool, with her work Why Re Wild, draws inspiration from a journey to the Netherlands, where she observed urban areas deliberately left uncultivated to provide a habitat for wild bees and other insects. In this case, metamorphosis is ongoing—an act of collaboration between nature and humankind, where the latter allows nature to reclaim its space. Ketkool’s work, retaining the same signage used in the Netherlands, invites us into this space of transformation—not just as a naturalistic record, but as a way to highlight the complex interconnections at play in this transformation—plants, insects, and humans alike.
Praiya Ketkool, Why Re Wild. Credits: SAC Gallery
Praiya Ketkool, Why Re Wild. Credits: SAC Gallery
The SAC Gallery was founded in 2012 by Subhashok Angsuvarnsiri and is located in the heart of Bangkok on Sukhumvit 39. It regularly participates in international art fairs, promoting contemporary Thai artists. In 2017, it expanded its activities to Chiang Mai with the SAC Art Lab and SAC Residency Program.
For more info about SAC Gallery and other Bangkok galleries and art institutions, check our Exhibitions section.