Since the Covid-19 pandemic, everyone has to adjust to a new normal life. At the same time, technology has advanced rapidly, transforming culture, belief, and societal value along with the new era. The question is how the identity of the prosper district in the past changed and continue with the new normal life.

 

Academic Program presents this year’s student works that address the topic READY made: New normal of culture, with Me – Pibool Amornjiraporn architect and founder of plural designs as the Academic Program 2022 curator. Also, see what interesting things were found whilst working with the team of young enthusiastic designers from 9 universities.

 

The Beginning of Academic Program

“Bangkok Design Week, in general, is open for designers to showcase their works. Every year there are students from universities sent in their work, most of the time the universities will send works which the students have been working on during the year. Previously, the program was named ‘ปล่อยแสง (unleash the light)’. Due to the variety of fields in which they study like furniture design, interior design, product design, and graphics design , the exhibition pieces have various narratives that don’t correlate with the festival theme. We then discussed with the festival team to set up a special project for the university students to work on the same theme. This will ensure that the exhibition is more cohesive to the festival’s theme and working under one unifying theme would also send out a stronger message than working separately. This is the idea that began the Academic Programs 3 years ago.”

 

The Process of Creativity

 

“We started by sending out the information about the theme and show period to the universities to see whether they are interested. The working process is not easy because new pieces have to be created, also it’s  the period where the universities have different teaching hours. We are thankful to all the universities that are participating with their pieces of works. In the previous year, the majority of work was from the furniture and product design faculty. This year, we have added Faculty of Architecture as well because we see the importance of public space and small-scale architecture such as home isolation space. After the initial brief was sent out, we then gathered all the universities to present their projects and we help guide and support the project all the way to the final set up because the project’s scale is quite different from their usual student projects.”

 

“From previous working experience, some students’ works are very specialised, referencing certain studies, and in-depth. Although, that is a good thing, often hard for the general public to understand. with a clear theme and direction in the festival exhibition, the pieces became easier to understand.”

 

“The topic this year is READY made: New normal of culture. ‘READY made’ firstly represents our readiness, whether you are ready or not, nature waits for no one. In the period of the past 1-2 years, we have to adjust to numerous aspects of life. These adjustments often required us to make use of what is ready around us, similar to the ready-made art idea. Secondly, it also represents our adjustments to the surrounding context of life, to be ready for the new normal way of life which happens to everyone like online-learning, working from home, or home isolation.”

 

Create the New in the Old Community

 

The main sites for the Academic Program 2022 are located at the Haroon Mosque and Talad Noi Community which is the old historical community that has been with Charoenkrung road for over 100 years. The “Co With Creation” idea that talks about the cooperation to create new possibilities, has turned our focus on working together with the community by bringing out the uniqueness of the area in the different scales of work scattered around the area.   

 

“The student projects are already quite experimental and fresh. This year, we had the opportunity to work with the Creative District team so we had Talad Noi and Haroon Mosque communities sightseeing trips for the universities to choose the area they would like to work with and learn about the area’s unique identities and cultural elements. Haroon Mosque is a majority Muslim community and Talad Noi is a Chinese community, we want the students to bring out those qualities and incorporate them with the work to present the communities.”

 

“Currently, we have 1 project at Haroon Mosque community and the majority of 8 projects are at Talad Noi. During the making process, we would talk over with the community representatives and property owners, to show the works in Talad Noi community spaces such as San Chao Rong Kulak and Bhanurangsi Pier, as well as the private spaces of shops and cafés.”

 

If you have a chance to visit the Academic Program, you will find the works from the new generation of designers who are ready for change. The designers are ready to drive the creative economy in the old communities like Haroon Mosque and Talad Noi into the new world of challenges. This program is one to watch in Bangkok Design Week on 5-13 February 2022.

 

 

Academic Program

Website : bangkokdesignweek.com

Facebook : facebook.com/BangkokDesignWeek

Instagram : @bangkokdesignweek

 

Plural Designs

Website : pluraldesigns.net

Facebook : facebook.com/pluraldesigns