ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

Korakrit Arunanondchai’s Living Archive at Secession, Vienna

exhibition · 2026-04-24

Korakrit Arunanondchai showcases a site-specific installation at Secession in Vienna, alongside his ongoing video project, "people with funny names" (2012–). The stairwell features a fresco of green foliage, mimicking a trellis that complements the building's ornate dome. Naive-style paintings of the artist's grandmother and a winged figure, possibly representing collaborator Boychild, are adorned with dried flowers on the mural. On the upper floor, a continuous screening of five episodes from the 'living archive' plays on a large screen. This video intertwines sincerity with irony and spiritualism with skepticism, portraying the artist’s surrogate pressing his painted torso onto denim, inspired by a 2012 Thailand’s Got Talent performance. The narrative alternates between invoking an omniscient being named Chantri, documentary clips of the artist’s grandmother, fictional scenes with his twin brother, and Boychild's performance. The exhibition literature highlights denim as a symbol of material and idea movement across borders, referencing serge de Nîmes. It is characterized more as a revealing document of the artist's growth than a cohesive philosophical statement, inviting generous interpretation and empathy. The exhibition is open from 13 September to 10 November 2019.

Key facts

  • Korakrit Arunanondchai exhibits at Secession, Vienna, from 13 September to 10 November 2019.
  • The stairwell is frescoed with green leaves and branches, forming a trompe l’oeil trellis.
  • Small naive-style paintings of the artist’s grandmother and a winged figure (Boychild) are hung on the mural.
  • The video work 'together with history in a room filled with people with funny names' (2012–) is screened upstairs.
  • The video includes five episodes shown as a looping series on a single large screen.
  • A routine in the video involves the artist’s surrogate pressing his painted torso onto denim, inspired by a 2012 Thailand’s Got Talent act.
  • The narrative features Chantri, an omniscient being or machine, and documentary footage of the artist’s grandmother.
  • The exhibition literature states denim symbolizes the movement of materials and ideas across borders.

Entities

Artists

  • Korakrit Arunanondchai
  • Boychild

Institutions

  • Secession
  • ArtReview Asia

Locations

  • Vienna
  • Austria
  • Bangkok
  • New York
  • Nîmes

Sources