Bangkok (Thailand) – September 29, 2017 (travelindex) – Making the invisible visible is a constant desire of humankind and an insatiable spirit of invention. The invention of X-ray imaging allowed us to look inside our bodies. The invention of thermal imaging allowed us to visualize heat.

The “Intersection” project was initiated by Pun Pitanpitayarat, a graduate of the CommDe*** program. He captured and analyzed the images our brains generate in complete darkness, asking the question: “What does it look like?” Pitanpitayarat conducted a solitary confinement experiment, isolating himself in a pitch-black, soundproof room. He spent 24 hours in this cell to experience the silence and darkness and to enter an altered state of consciousness where the boundaries between reality and dreams blur.

Interactive art installation by Pun Pitanpitayarat, curated by Eiji Sumi. Exhibition dates: October 3, 2017 – January 7, 2018. Opening: Tuesday, October 3, 4–9 pm. Artist talk: 4:30–5:30 pm. Opening celebration: 6–9 pm.

“Intersection” is a simulation of the artist’s contemplation and introspection on the beauty of hallucinated visions he experienced in solitary confinement, and his attempt to visualize the phenomenon of “visualization with closed eyes” that the brain generates in this dark environment. He explores the method using interactive media, programmed laser light, and sound in the space.

Curated by Eiji Sumi (artist and lecturer at CommDe), Pitanpitayarat's "Intersection" offers audiences in Bangkok immersive experiences and fascinating underwater worlds. River City Bangkok is pleased to partner with CommDe at Chulalongkorn University to encourage people to actively participate in shaping the future.

***CommDe (International Communication Design Program, Industrial Design Department, Faculty of Architecture, Chulalongkorn University)

Pun Pitanpitayarat – Biography: Pun Pitanpitayarat was born in Bangkok, Thailand in 1995 and is a media artist and designer. He recently graduated from Chulalongkorn University with a degree in International Communication Design (CommDe). He currently works as a multimedia designer at Eyedropper Fill Co., LTD and has extensive experience designing diverse installations for music videos, events, concerts, exhibitions, and more.

His works, which focus on the combination of technology and materials, not only explore screen-based media but also expand upon various installation forms that stimulate the senses and are supported by sophisticated visual design and computer languages. The movement of light, motion, generative images, and sound creates immersive experiences through interactive art.

Pitanpitayarat has already held several exhibitions in Bangkok. He also won the Bronze Award at Bangkok Illumination 2015. His exhibitions include CommDe creative walk 2017 / Commde, Chulalongkorn University Bangkok, 111 forms of the next 11 years 2017 / Commde Chulalongkorn University Bangkok, ProductMe 2015 / Speedy Grandchild Bangkok and Obsessive space 2014 / CEO books.

Eiji Sumi – Biography: Born in Tokyo in 1970, Eiji Sumi graduated from Rikkyo University in Tokyo. In 1994, he moved to New York, where he continued his career as an artist and designer. Sumi's mixed-media approach explores materials, contextualizes digital media, and integrates light into diverse forms and ideas. By combining various methods in art installations and environmental experiments, he investigates the relationship between art and science. He has a particular interest in urban landscapes, creating analog and digital artworks that relate to the urban environment and its problems.

Sumi worked as an artist in New York, receiving commissions from various clients in the design industry. During his time in New York, he garnered attention for his projects, which ranged from mixed-media and light installations to painting and drawing. He exhibited in numerous international exhibitions, including art festivals, and his work was curated by, among others, Eric Shiner, Helen Homan Wu, Brian Curtin, Gridthiya Gaweewong, Keiichi Miyagawa, Lyno Vuth, and Ni-kun. Sumi was also nominated for the 2016 Sovereign Asian Art Award in Hong Kong.

Sumi moved to Bangkok in 2012. He is currently a lecturer in the International Communication Design (CommDe) program at Chulalongkorn University, which is part of the Faculty of Architecture. He has curated numerous exhibitions in Asia and beyond.