PDF: PostTodayOnline_March_2019
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Experience Art and LA’s New Faces
March 14, 2019
The night of February 23, a warehouse in Los Angeles which provides studio spaces for artists and designers, was transformed into a performance and new media art installation. “Autobodies and Other Human Factors” is an interactive experience that playfully expresses a narrative of transportation in LA, which affects the lives of everyone living in this unique megacity. The event tells a diverse set of stories about the artists’ experiences on the road in LA. The event is produced by Open Plan Collective, co-founded by Thai artist, Tuangkamol Thongborisute (Tuang).
The Thai city of Bangkok has a lot in common with Los Angeles as both cities are extremely complex driving environments, hugely spread out and with massive populations drawn to these bustling metropolises in the hopes of realising their goals. Some people come for a dream, others in desperation, but all of us share the same roads.
As well as Tuang, Open Plan Collective is made up of Jonathan Fletcher Moore and Miller Klitsner. Tuang primary works with interactive art and installation art and we talked with her about the exhibition and how, even as a one-night only art event, it has received such great response.
Tuang tells us that the concept began with Miller’s piece, Bravo Drive, which impressed Jonathan so much that he invited Miller to join the collective. “We’ve spent time developing Bravo Drive together and it grew into the whole exhibition. We invited other new-media artists working with similar concepts to join the event as guest artists and they all played an important part in making the show so lively and dynamic. We have about 10 participating artists in total.” She says.
Bravo Drive is one example of how this collective has developed an artwork together. The piece has a playful tone, parodying the transport infrastructure in this digital era which features start ups such as Uber.
Participants must schedule their ride to experience the installation which has a performer playing the role of a driver. The driver facilitates the experience with conversation, music, on-screen graphics and other activities. In the end, viewers can pay for the ride through a customized application on their smart devices.
“In this exhibition, we do not have any traditional sculpture, we display works that require participation from our guests. These art creations have their own moves and adventure.” Tuangkamol says. Talking about the show she goes on to explain how the interactive piece functions.
“When you arrive at the exhibition you face a tall working counter with a busy officer who checks people’s IDsand their profile. It might remind you of a DMV officer or any similar authority such as customs at the airport. Some people are more passive and simply follow along but others get into character very fast and really understand the vibe of this show. Some parts of this exhibition are like a parody, but mostly it is a surreal experience created from the common experiences of all Los Angelenos.”
For the reader of Post Today, if you are around Los Angeles and looking for new creative event to attend, Open Plan Collective should be one of the art collectives you keep an eye on. They are also open for collaboration and idea exchange. Follow their work and updates on their Instagram at @Opecplancollective.
However, Thais please do not feel disappointed, Tuangkamol Thongborisute has given us the news that she plans to have her exhibition up in Bangkok in 2020. Follow the facebook fanpage, TuangStuD!O, or Instagram at @Tuangstudio, for more news.
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