Artist profile written by Eliza Williams
"Talks by museum guides are often a distraction, getting in the way of directly experiencing the work itself. But in Thai artist Pratchaya Phinthong’s exhibition, the guide’s talk is the work."(TimeOut- http://www.timeout.com/london/art/pratchaya-phinthong-broken-hill)
Pratchaya Phinthong takes a very historical and political slant to artwork, collecting inspiration from world travel and and important cultural tales. His exhibition at London's Chisenhale gallery was motivated by an important part of Zambian history and was created as 'the end result of a long process of discovery.'
Phinthong's original interpretation of the issue 'what is art?' defies conventional practice as while he encourages participants to take an active role in his work, he is often seen to take a back seat approach. His 'Broken Hill' exhibition provides a perfect example of this interactive artwork. As 'TimeOut' recognise in the quote above, it is in fact Kamfwa Chishala, a guide from the Lusaka National Museum in Zambia who becomes essential to the performance piece; carrying the audience on a historical and eye-opening journey of discovery.
As the profile in 'Art Monthly' reveals; the skull was first discovered in Zambia, 1921 by miners but was transported to London by colonial authorities and later became so important that it was used as evidence to support Charles Darwin's work. The skull used in the exhibition therefore is actually a replica made for the Lusaka Museum and is the piece that Chishala talks so passionately about. This brings into question an interesting concept and is possibly the main idea running throughout Phinthong's exhibition; the blurring between a real artifact and a false replica. Phinthong proves the point that the replica skull is held in higher regard and is therefore more sacred and appreciated than the real one (which is hidden away in London's Natural History Museum). It expresses the view that belief, culture and heritage run stronger than what the eye can see. Just knowing that the real does exist creates enough intrigue for an audience to dismiss the fact that what they are viewing is a fake. The replica has become more meaningful to the Zambian people than the original skull which Phinthong helps the viewer to understand by using Kamfwa Chishala.
Phinthong's strength is his ability to be an artist simply through informing the wider world about what he discovers on his travels. He is able to explore challenging concepts simply by stepping back and 'inviting others to become active participants in the shaping of his art.'
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