To mark the birthday of the late Montien Boonma, studiOK presents a two-day special event as part of the “Departed < > Revisited” exhibition at Wat Umong temple in Chiang Mai. A series of educational activities begins on Thursday, February 25 with an exhibition walkthrough with the artist and his team, followed by a special lecture by Thai art historian and curator Somporn Rodboon about Montien’s body of work in relationship to his personal life, particularly during his time in Chiang Mai. The first day will end with a roundtable on-site and online conversation with more than 10 speakers, gathered from different generations of Montien’s former students. This ‘tribute to Montien’ seminar will also include a film screening about his contribution to the Chiang Mai Social Installation, an experimental outdoor art festival that took place in Chiang Mai during the 1990s.

The second day event will coincide with Makha Bucha Day, an important Buddhist festival marking the Full Moon when Buddhists come together to celebrate the creation of an ideal and exemplary community. Morning activities will begin with a walking tour to visit the temple’s archeological sites and learn about life around the forest monastery. Another highlight will be a storytelling performance lecture by renowned Chiang Mai-based artist Araya Rasdjarmrearnsook. Based on a novel she has written, “An Old Tale of Wrong Time and Space” will tell the tale of her experiences as a female artist while narrating her memories of the late artist Montien during their long friendship. Another performance not to be missed is a live string concert inside “Black Question (After Montien Boonma)”, a tunnel-shaped work of art installed on the temple grounds and inspired by Montien’s original work “Black Question” (1995). The evening programme will take place beside Wat Umong’s ancient pagoda, on the ground next to where Montien’s “Room” (1994/2020) is installed. After sunset, there will be an outdoor film screening of a rarely seen documentary film shot over 60 years ago when the late Buddhadāsa Bhikkhu visited India to study the origins of Buddhism. The night will end with a candle procession around the pagoda.

All of the seminars, talks and performances will be conducted in Thai. Most of the activities will be broadcasted live. Please follow Navin Production’s Facebook page for details.