In a captivating exploration of minimalism and space, the “Landscape of Emptiness” art exhibition, is a beacon for admirers of contemplative art. Renowned Thai artist Sanitas Pradittasnee has captured the essence of tranquillity in her latest solo exhibition.
Sanitas is interested in contemplative spaces. The ‘Landscape of Emptiness’ exhibition creates a condition through which the audience enters a state of emptiness, which creates a perimeter of abstraction within which everything perishes, leaving only emptiness.
In this exhibition, visitors can see and touch heavy substances pressing onto the ground, emphasising the definition of emptiness in an interconnected manner, on the first floor. At the same time, visitors will see what floats on air, representing emptiness on the second floor.
Sanitas presents the changing moments of time that move from the rising sun until the sky becomes utterly dark.
For her, the installation with which she is most impressed is the long and open empty room, with only light framing the dust that is already there. This artwork is called ‘Stardust, or we are…’, which uses stardust as an analogy for humans, the remnants or dust particles of the universe.
Besides the beauty and the meaning of emptiness, the interesting thing about this exhibition is the use of traditional brass casting techniques to create works of art.
Sanitas learned the ancient lost wax casting technique from Pa-Ao Village in Ubon Ratchathani province. For artworks in this exhibition, she didn’t use brass ornaments, but mostly took brass from materials that have been used before, such as shell casings or old bells.
In addition to her artistic skills, she uses her scent design skills to accompany her artworks in each room. The scent in each room is inspired by Sanitas’s memories. For example, she relied on her memory of walking up the mountain in the morning, surrounded by the fresh, light, and cool scents and the sweet aroma of wildflowers under the morning sun, to create the ambiance for the ‘Follow The Sun’ room.
“Landscape of Emptiness” is currently showing at the Art Centre, Silpakorn University, until June 8th, 2024.
By Kitipat Chuensukjit
