BANGKOK 1899 // BANGKOK THAILAND // 2019
Singh's three-month residency elevated Bangkok 1899 as an immersive Social Practice hub, exemplifying a new contemporary art paradigm to enable women artists, who are also mothers, to live and work in a supportive residency environment. The four month residency saw Singh and her two young children partner with Creative Migration a women-led, international arts organization based in Los Angeles and Bangkok with the mission to advance cultural diplomacy through the three pillars of art, public engagement and sustainability. During the family in residence program, Singh's in depth social practice inquiry delved into how societal expectations, family obligations and being classified as a minority voice within the power structure of the art world affects and informs the work of women artists.
Furthering the partnership process, Tiffany Singh and Taiwanese artist Jui-Pin Chang's collaborated on, The Pink Period. A project aimed to foster social bonds within the art world and beyond, by promoting improved well-being, an enhanced sense of self/self-efficacy and economic gains for women artists. Collaborations with CHAMALiiN and the Pakistani refugee community enabled social enterprise to empower a vulnerable community of women in Bangkok, by supporting safe, sustainable, and ethical livelihood opportunities to strengthen the capacity of women creatives to take care of themselves and their families. The project is founded upon three core principles; empowerment, sustainability, and transparency. Empowering women to be agents of change in their communities and furthering research gathered from The Taipei Artist Village residency (Taiwan) to continue ethical and supportive exploration of the challenges faced by women in creative practice.
The artist is residence program, concluded with the Grand Opening of Bangkok 1899 in Sept 2019.
See video below. The full project can be found here: https://womensartprojectasia.tumblr.com/
Many of the images here are by Cat Costa a self-taught photographer who draws inspiration through interacting with her subjects drawing on their personal narratives to inform the nature of her work. Cat is Thai-American, born and raised in Norfolk, Virginia. She relocated to Bangkok in 2009 for University and has remained there ever since. The balancing act of navigating the culture differences between the East & the West is a theme she often explores in her own body of work.
population, and loss of faith in traditional medicine among the younger generations
have resulted in a sharp decrease of not only indigenous culture and languages, but also
loss of traditional herbs and therapies. Reflective of my previous body of work with
healing foods and flowers, this project would further unpack my academic enquiry
around the Arts - Health and Wellbeing dynamic. The artwork would also serve as
awareness tool that continues to perpetuate the dialogue around the importance and
forgotten wisdom knowledge associated to the natural environment and Mother Earth.
