Som Supaparinya's video works document ecological and political precarity along Thailand's Mekong tributaries

Som Supaparinya, an artist from Northern Thailand, produces video art that explores the political and environmental transformations affecting the country’s waterways. Her two-channel video titled 'Two Sides of the Moon' (2021) showcases fisherfolk along the Mun River discussing the decrease in fish populations since the Pak Mun Dam was completed in 1994. In her series on 'electricity generation,' works like 'When Need Moves the Earth' (2014) examine the Srinagarind Dam and Mae Moh coal mine, highlighting their connection to earthquake hazards. '10 Places in Tokyo' (2016) presents Tokyo's highest electricity-consuming areas, while 'Roundabout at km 0' (2017) features protest sounds at Bangkok's Democracy Monument, part of 'After Hope: Videos of Resistance' at Peabody Essex Museum until 31 December. Her pieces reflect on the effects of hydropower and community resilience, drawing on the ideas of Anna L. Tsing and Thongchai Winichakul.