IN PICS: Things to see at Chiang Mai Design Week 2016

December’s chill weather is reason enough to go up north, but this week, the weather’s far from the coolest thing happening in Chiang Mai. It’s Chiang Mai Design week, where the country’s best and brightest artists and designers descend on the northern city for a week of installations, talks, shows and networking. The city-wide week long event allows visitors to see what the artsiest people in the country have been up to this year.

Whether you like to admire installations and nod in awe, or you prefer to pay and take home one-of-a-kind art, Thailand Creative & Design Center (TCDC) has something for you at Chiang Mai Design Week 2016 (CMDW), where they are pleased to present a solid mix of the work of creative local artisans and modern international designers.

Throughout the festival, art enthusiasts can visit over a hundred installations and exhibitions that are scattered around town in locations like temples and the TCDC building itself. Revelers can attend workshops and talks or shop for crafts at the Pop Market on the Walking Street.

One great thing about the CMDW is that it can be enjoyed by everyone since descriptions for everything are provided in both Thai and English. Design week features a total of 128 design showcases, 8 installations, 6 international exhibitions, 8 conferences, 13 talks, and 22 workshops. A shuttle bus is provided from TCDC to some exhibitions.

Here are some highlights and things to do at CMDW 2016.

1. Get behind real-life filter with The Big Face Box

TCDC hosts six international exhibitions at its headquarters. The Big Face Box is one fun design straight from Osaka, Japan. The Big Face Box magnifies your face to ridiculous proportions and you might just find yourself making the kinds of funny faces that you are normally too shy for. Seeing yourself with a big face may help you discover other sides of yourself and bring smiles to strangers around you. Big face selfie, anyone?


2. See how the French
interpret Thai bamboo handcrafts with Transfers

Transfers is a collaboration between seven French and Thai designers who were put together in an empty white room.

They were tasked with building relationships and creating art. The result is the “Transfers” collection, which combines Northern-Thai artisans’ ceramic know-how with the contemporary approach of the French participants. The pieces are coated in lacquer and bamboo fiber.

Transfers is displayed at TCDC.


3.
Before Architecture asks viewers to consider the journey, not just the destination

This installation is based on the traditional Thai construction site you see around Chiang Mai. Chulalongkorn architecture professor Boonserm Premthada transformed the mundane into a work of art as he asked viewers to see the beauty in the before and during stages of a project, not just the end result.

Before Architecture is displayed at TCDC.


4. Get under the
Cloud

Clouds represent dreams and desires to these artists. This installation is equipped with sensors, so that when you stand under it, the cloud changes from blue to warm amber.

The project is a collaboration of a Thai lighting designer, architect and a computer engineer.

Cloud is displayed at the Tobacco Factory. A shuttle bus is available from TCDC.


5. See Thainess in action with an exhibition inspired by Thai belief

Duang Dee Temple (Good Fortune Temple) is a place that many Chiang Mai locals visit for good luck, so it’s a perfect place to display a collection of arts inspired by the Thai ways of finding luck such as scraping trees to getting their future told by esiimsi to getting protective tattoos.

Wish You Luck is a banana-tree-shaped sculpture, inspired by Thai people’s belief of goddesses living in trees. The numbers decorating the sculpture reflect the Thai way of finding luck by scraping sacred trees for lottery numbers.

The Otzi collection is inspired by Thai belief of protection tattoos.

Faith and Luck are paper tole portraits of Chinese Goddess Guan Yin and the elephant God Ganesha, both worshipped by Thais.


6. Enter an art gallery made of bamboo boxes

REALM Pavilion is both a work of art itself and a small gallery to exhibit crafts. At night, it lights up with strategically-placed lights.


7. Identify yourself with a bear

You might see yourself or your loved ones in these creative “Bear Around Me” clay sculptures.

Created by 17-year-old Kamolluck Nimkittikul, who is fresh out of high school, each bear has a different personality and is inspired by the people in the artist’s life.

Kamolluck’s works are featured in the young designer zone, at the Chiang Mai Historical Center.


8. Get freaky with worm cookies

Fried bamboo worms are considered northern delicacies, but baked worm butter cookies are not commonly consumed by northerners…for a good reason. However, at CMDW, you can get a chance to try them.

At the Foodist exhibition, find desserts that everyone can enjoy like cookies speckled with northern ingredients such as Sai Aua (spicy northern sausages), fragrant tea, fried longans and passion fruit.

We tried the passion fruit cookie in a jar marked “Umm Climax,” and found it had the most unusual taste. Extreme eaters are encouraged to try the worm cookies in the jar marked “Don’t spit.” We, however, skipped them.

The Foodist exhibition is at Lanna Architecture Center.


9. Add some arts into your everyday life with chic items

From a dessert-shaped chair to a calendar that will last the rest of your life, there is lots of unique home decor to see at the Chiang Mai City Arts & Cultural Center. Some of these items will also be sold at Pop Market on Dec. 9-11, near Chiang Man Temple.

This modern brass desktop storage set can be rearranged into different shapes to suit your mood.

This wooden calendar allows you to simply move around the sets of numbers, and you will never have to buy a new one again.

These chairs are in the shape of Sai Sai, the Thai coconut-based dessert.

Simply put your phone in this natural speaker (THB200+) and let the sound echo through the wood without using any electricity.

Everyone will either fear or favor you in this incredible tee (THB700), which has a face of Tossakan, an ultimate villain in Thai literature Ramakien.

Vila Cini, a textile shop on Charoenraj Road, is also a stop in CMDW. The shop is famous for high-quality, modern silk clothing and home decor.


10. Fire up your creativity by joining talks on design

Several one-hour talks and half-day conferences are held in Thai and English during design week. Some tell stories behind the exhibitions at CMDW, revealing what was in the minds of the designers when they were creating. Others focus on the creative industry with those working in the field exchanging their perspective on the business.

Check out the schedule on CMDW website.

Chiang Mai Design Week 2016 is held from Dec. 3 – Dec. 11 at TCDC and art centers in the Three Kings Monument Area. For the full list of showcases and event schedules visit the CMDW website.



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