I join Tangmo's participatory performance memory field in The Academy of Fine Arts in Helsinki, and meet her there later to unpack it. Together we talk through the performance from beginning to end, and Tangmo expands on how she developed the project and incorporated multiple collaborations with other Thai artists. She tells about the horrific background of the piece: The Thammasat Massacre in 1976, a student uprising event in Thailand which was violently shut down and almost completely erased from common history, and explains some of the differences to working as a student and artist in Thailand and Finland. We discuss student activism, censorship, and how to be brave in your position as artist and reclaim your voice in your work. We also talk about interactive poetry, audience engagement, and psychological aspects of the architecture of the new academy building.

memory field working group: concept and performance by Ladapha “Tangmo” Sophonkunkit, costume design by Pin Nicha, sound design by fluffypak, graphic design by Suwapat Rodprasert, Chiw Uparsin, Sirada Darikarnonta, patches by Jayda Sakulpoonsook, Naraphat Sakarthornsap, Beam Wong, Maya Jett, Praejeen Kunawong (Jeen Ku), bo nawacharee, Banana blah blah, Julibakerandsummer and Thanakorn Dean Siriraks.

This episode contains audio documentation from the performance recorded by me.

Tangmo's website

Tangmo's Instagram

memory field on Uniarts' website

The Thammasat Massacre

LAPS' website

LAPS' Facebook page

The Academy of Fine Arts' new building

And many of the collaborators:

fluffypak's Instagram

Jayda Sakulpoonsook's Instagram

Naraphat Sakarthornsap's website

Beam Wong's Instagram

Maya Jett's Instagram

Praejeen Kunawong (Jeen Ku)'s Instagram

bo nawacharee's website

Banana blah blah's Instagram

Julibakerandsummer's Instagram

Thanakorn Dean Siriraks' Instagram

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