Ruangsak Anuwatwimon's GOLEM 2022 Exhibition Blends Mythology, Anatomy, and Environmental Ethics in Bangkok
The exhibition titled GOLEM 2022 by Ruangsak Anuwatwimon is on display at Gallery VER in Bangkok until 19 June. It showcases a human musculoskeletal model crafted from ash sculptures created during public sessions. This ash, derived from rare plant and animal species, is compacted and shaped with a CNC machine to mimic body parts, symbolically connecting them to their origins through partnerships with anthropologists and traditional Chinese medicine experts. Additionally, a related exhibition at SAC Gallery features detailed pen drawings and reference materials, including Michael Keevak's 'Becoming Yellow: A Short History of Racial Thinking' (2011). The project delves into environmental ethics, race, and Gothic horror, culminating in a suspended golem figure that alludes to Gustav Meyrink's 1915 work 'The Golem' and Kabbalistic traditions.
Key facts
- GOLEM 2022 exhibition runs through 19 June at Gallery VER in Bangkok
- Ruangsak Anuwatwimon creates anatomically precise human musculoskeletal model from ash sculptures
- Specimens from rare flora and fauna collection are burned and carved using CNC machine
- Companion display at SAC Gallery features hundreds of pen drawings and reference materials
- Project draws from Jewish golem mythology and Kabbalistic traditions
- Each body part symbolically corresponds to source material through conceptual pairings
- Artist's previous work includes dioramas from fish bones and sculptures of endangered species
- Exhibition explores environmental ethics, race classifications, and human extractivism
Entities
Artists
- Ruangsak Anuwatwimon
- Gustav Meyrink
- Michael Keevak
Institutions
- Gallery VER
- SAC Gallery
- ArtReview
Locations
- Bangkok
- Thailand