Born in 1976, Chiang Rai, Bangkok
Lives and works in Suphan Buri, Chiang Rai, Bangkok, Thailand
Seven Of Pentacles: Forest In Progress, 2024-2026
Site-specific installation
Dimension variable
Artist Gerhard Richter once wrote in the documenta 7 exhibition in 1982 that “Art is the highest form of hope.”
Standing in front of Khao Phraya Prab, the artist’s identity seems irrational. Nature is great but nurturing. “What I miss and want to “call out” for is the original Isan forest that used to be there before humans planted mulberry trees to raise silkworms”.
The Isan Native Forests Project (Seven Of Pentacles: Forest In Progress) is an art and environmental project that requires a minimum working period of three years. It occupies an area of approximately 10 rai within the agricultural garden of Jim Thompson Farm. This project is part of the Art On Farm exhibition. The goal is to restore Isan native forest species. In the first year, the project began by planting 425 native Isan tree saplings grown from 53 different types of seeds in the existing mulberry garden to restore biodiversity.
The project’s name refers to the “Seven Of Pentacles” tarot card, which symbolizes ignorance, perseverance, patience, and taking time in life. When this card is opened, it reminds us to be content with the cause and creation of enabling factors, without having to wait for future results. It encourages us to accept imperfection and the inevitable changes that will occur. The word “Forest In Progress” emphasizes the process and the time period. In nature, there is no perfect point in evolution. All life is in a constant state of change.
“I am interested in and observe the experience of change at the individual, societal, and environmental levels. Although “art” cannot solve environmental problems, politics, or human conflicts, “being art” is still a beautiful form of hope for humans.”
Angkrit Achariyasophon was born in Chiang Rai in 1976. He is a restaurant manager and the founder of Angkrit Gallery (2008-2016) in Chiang Rai and ARTIST+RUN (2006-2021) in Bangkok. Formerly a freelance curator, he now works in art and gardens in Chiang Rai and Suphan Buri.
Early in his career, Achariyasophon was interested in the meaning, scope, and value of art. He experimented with various media and expression methods, exploring the complexities of identity and culture. After the 2006 coup, his focus shifted to examining political change, the present state of affairs, and the complexities of perception. He expressed these insights through paintings and photographs in exhibitions following the COVID-19 pandemic.
Achariyasophon’s artistic explorations center on the experiences of uncertainty and change at the personal, social, and environmental levels. He aims to create an artistic process without limitations, allowing space for time, beings, and experiences to be filled with the unexpected. This approach promotes open working and learning formats through a variety of painting techniques and site-specific installations.