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Exhibition

Pailin

MIND THE GAP

In the Here and Now Project :
A Photo Journal of Self Space in Quarantine Time

Mrs. Pailin Phokthavi


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Introduction

Mundane interior objects and spaces seem like it is not a kind of art, or it is? Can
“Normal” be a new meaning to life? Can we create a photo without travel so far? These all questions have become an aspect to me since the state shut down for Covid-19 occurred. When we have to live our life as normal as possible in an unusual situation, our “normal”, then, has shifted to the new one. “Home” is the only place where we feel secure. We need to “stay at home” and stay in a distance from people. Day by day, “Home” turns into an only friend we have conversations and communicate our feelings. The ideas formed the beginning of the project. To practice the eyes of aesthetic appreciation, the “In the Here and Now” project is my self-challenge to take a snapshot of “home” every day in the quarantine time, and to post a photo a day on social-media, working as my gallery and journal of life in the extraordinary situation.

{“A photo a day – 40 photos 40 days”
The word “Quarantine” is given a definition by Merriam Webster as “a period of
40 days” (merriam-webster.com). The definition roots back to the early 1600s as it borrowed from Italian word “quarantena” meaning “a period of forty days.” The historical meaning of this renowned word in our today-society referred to a period of time measurement when ships and people were isolated to prevent any suspected contagious disease. (dictionary.com) Therefore, in the project, timing of 40 days photo taking has been chosen to express the hidden meaning of “Quarantine.” Moreover, related to the meaning of “isolation” sense, the quarantine requires a practice of “distancing” or “The gap” which we all should mind. The implying concept, then, can be a part of the 8th Rangsit University International design exhibition “Work in Progress 8: Mind the Gap.”

{“Home – Appreciation in normal life and space”
“Home” is the subject of the photo snapshots in this self-challenge because a home is not an inattentively set scene in picturesque interior design spaces; rather, it is the place that presents mundane everyday objects and spaces. However, “home” gives profound thoughts and feelings deeply in love and life. In contrast to the “gap”, “home” is very close to us, but when we live at home every day, the “gap” has begun, and most of the time we overlook the beauty of spaces and scenes.

When the situation forces us to stay home, a home becomes both a safe
sanctuary and a vapid cage. Consequently, this project is aimed to give inspiration for people to look back to their interior spaces, observe, and appreciate simple aesthetic of everyday life. Therefore, the project is named “In the Here and Now” to state “a present moment” that we have to appreciate and thank for.

{On Instagram
In social-distancing time, social networks are the most capable tools to connect
with the world. For this project, Instagram, one of the effective photo gallery-sharing social networks, has been chosen to display the photos as my own gallery. The photos will be arranged and sorted by date, so a post a day is presented orderly as in the concept of the project. What is the beauty of it? On Instagram, once a photo is posted, it would not be able to edit or insert, only delete, thus I have to respect and admit the happening. Although some of the photos are not the best, they are not returnable and manipulated, so I have a chance to learn to accept and let them go with time. (Please visit https://www.instagram.com/in.the.here_and_now/)

Starting the first post on April 13, 2020, the project has begun slightly after the
announcement of the state quarantine, and now it has completed for 40 days on May 23, 2020. Nevertheless, I have noticed an improvement in my photo taking artistically, as well as the growing feeling of motivation to improve my interior space. Therefore, I will continue the project and carry on taking and posting the photos of the space

Through the project of “In the Here and Now”, as time goes by, I have felt much more for the connection of my mind and the interior elements I call “Home.” and how we bond to things we own. The more important thing than a technique in photo taking or splendid interior design is that it reflects the story behind and record the moment in a period of time. “There is no technique necessary when clicking every day, but it’s more about paying attention to everything around us, feeling it and transmitting it into a moment.” Simran Nanwani (2017), a passionate photographer and writer, wrote in her article on Sleeklens.com that has inspired me. Moreover, I have always loved to visualize and move through a space, anatomizing its nature, but after continuing with this project so far, my interest in visualize the world through photography has grown also.

Techniques and materials

Mixed media   

Size or Mins.

40 photo frames (25x25cm / a photo frame)
Total = 135×225 cm


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