As An Urban Alternative (STORAGE)

Mary Pansanga (center), Sathit Sattarasart (left)

Art space/gallery STORAGE was established in Bangkok in 2022. As the name suggests, this art space was created with the idea of utilizing the storage of artists’ works as an exhibition space. It opened on the third floor of a building located on Phra Sumen Road, a corner of the old town near the Chao Phraya River and behind Chinatown.

The building and space are owned by artist Atit Sornsongkram (Uan). Originally built in the late 1970s, the building served as both a residence and a printing company for Uan’s family. After closing its business about two decades ago, the building was repurposed as a mixed-use space, housing the owner’s residence and various tenants, including the popular hidden bar, Ku Bar, located on the same floor as STORAGE. Even before STORAGE opened, the space had been used for several exhibitions and events.

Example from the past use -"Vernacular is The New Gold" held in 2017

STORAGE had a new beginning in 2022 after being renovated by the architectural unit “spin”, and it became a place to store the works of Uan and his partner, Prae Pupityastaporn, as well as an art space.
Initially intended to function only as a storage space for the two artists’ works, the space is now being used as an art space with a unique movable layout. Mary Pansanga, an independent curator, and Sathit Sattarasart (Pam), an artist/curator, have been assigned to manage the space.
I interviewed Mary about the beginning and running of STORAGE, and her recent practice.

Beginning of STORAGE

Q: How did STORAGE begin?

STORAGE opened in September 2022, but renovations were finished in early 2022.

Pam and I were invited by the owner to join the team when the space was completed, as they needed someone to run the place after they had renovated it.

Uan, the founder, initially planned to turn the entire floor into a storage facility for their artwork. However, during discussions with the architect who was commissioned to design the renovation, he realized that there was potential in the space because people who had rented the place in the past had held exhibitions and it had become a public space already. Therefore, they decided that it would be a waste to destroy the entire floor and that it would be better to create a space having the function of an art space open to the public. The architect and the owner designed the space together.

In the beginning, they planned to create a room to store works and make one side a window space, and only open that part to the public. They thought that this would be good for operation because no one would have to watch over the exhibition.

However, as they discussed, their ideas expanded, and the space now has a function that allows the window part to be moved and rotated, so that the layout can be flexibly changed.
At the same time, since it is part of an old building, the design was made so that the storage/art space would not look out of place, as if a new cube had been suddenly inserted into it, but rather would look like it had been there from the beginning. For example, the blocks used as walls for the newly created room were designed to have the same pattern as the original blocks. It was important when creating the space that it was not just about creating a new and clean place.

The founders created the space and were satisfied, and we were left to run it (laughs).

In fact, the last time this place was used before it was renovated was for a pop-up exhibition of the “expensive to be poor” project, which I was one of the organizers of.

Installation view of a pop-up exhibition of "expensive to be poor" held in December 2021

expensive to be poor  ーMaking art affordable: A new platform

We launched this project in 2020 at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, along with my artist friends, Pratchaya Pintong and Tanachai Bandasak. With everything being so difficult during the pandemic, we started thinking about a platform that would make art more accessible, and that’s how this website for selling artwork online came to be. For the works sold here, we set a condition that they must be sold for less than 10,000 baht, and invited artists we admired to create pieces exclusively for this platform. As the platform’s curators, we cover the operational costs, ensuring that most of the sales go to the artists.

Captures from the website “expensive to be poor”

The common interest among the three of us was this: when we think about buying art (works), do collectors have to be wealthy people with certain titles? Or does everyone have the right to buy art, and can anyone become a collector? We thought that anyone could become one. That’s why we set a price of 10,000 baht, which is affordable for ordinary people. Many of the artists we approached had never sold their works for less than 10,000 baht before, so this was an opportunity for their fans to encounter works by artists they couldn’t afford before. For example, Pratchaya’s works are usually not sold for less than 10,000 baht, so even if people like his work, they often can’t buy it. But in this project, his works became accessible to them.

While the art market is crucial to the art scene, we believe it shouldn’t be solely dependent on wealthy collectors. We wanted to demonstrate that art can be accessible to everyone and that even casual interactions between friends can foster a thriving art community. The goal was to empower individuals to become collectors and to enjoy the process of buying and selling art without the constraints of traditional hierarchies.

For the artists involved, this project presented unique challenges. Creating works specifically for the 10,000 baht price point was not always easy. However, we encouraged them to maintain their artistic integrity and create works that were true to their practices. We also emphasized the importance of providing context for each piece, sharing the artists’ intentions and inspirations on our website. Our aim was to foster a deeper appreciation for the art and the artists behind it.

At the beginning of the project, we were selling works at a good pace, but now the pace has slowed down, and we’re thinking about how to adjust our approach accordingly.

One of the things we did was to hold a pop-up exhibition in December 2021. As the pandemic was coming to an end and we felt that people were starting to want to gather together not just online, we decided to hold a pop-up exhibition where people could see the actual works and meet the artists. We held it in this space before it was renovated.

+0 Collection

Following the success of our exhibition, we sought to broaden the creative possibilities for our artists. To achieve this, we launched the “+0 Collection,” which allows us to offer artwork for up to 100,000 baht. This slight price increase enables artists to create works that align more closely with their usual practice and at a scale that suits their vision.
Coinciding with the launch of “+0,” we decided to host a pop-up exhibition in a unique setting. Rather than a traditional gallery, we sought a venue that would facilitate a more intimate and engaging dialogue between the artwork and the audience.

One of the core objectives of “+0” is to give new life to existing artworks. For our inaugural pop-up exhibition, we revisited Pam’s 2009 piece, where he purchased a newspaper advertisement to simply state, “Today will be a quiet day.” This work, a poignant reflection of its time, was exhibited at the independent bookstore, Vacilando Bookshop. We believed the bookstore’s atmosphere would provide a fitting context for this thought-provoking piece.

Today will be a quiet day (Sathit Sattarasart)

Our second exhibition, “artifact,” exhibited the works of Prae and Pathompon Tesprateep (Mont) at YARNNAKARN, a unique ceramic shop owned by artist Karin Phisolyabut. Prae presented new paintings featuring imaginary landscapes painted onto archaeological fragments. Mont, on the other hand, employed generative AI to visualize fictional fruits from a film script he was developing. We chose the second floor of YARNNAKARN as our exhibition space due to its mysterious, “cabinets of curiosities” ambiance, which we felt perfectly complemented the artworks. This floor is typically used to display the shop owner’s personal collection.

Installation view of "artifact"

I wanted our pop-up exhibitions to be less formal and more playful.

By showcasing the artworks in spaces where people would naturally gather, such as outside of traditional gallery settings, we aimed to create a more relaxed atmosphere that would encourage interaction between audience and the art. This approach, we believed, would offer a fresh perspective on the relationship between art and its environment. Additionally, we wanted to challenge the notion that art collecting is a privilege exclusive to a certain class of people.

Ripple Project

These projects are all still ongoing. One notable project within “expensive to be poor” is the “Ripple Project.” This collaborative video series invites artists to create short clips that respond to one another. The process begins with one artist creating a video, which is then sent to another artist who creates their own response. This chain reaction continues indefinitely, with each artist contributing to a larger, evolving narrative. While there is no specific theme, the overall focus is on the concept of movement. The project was born out of a collaboration between Pratchaya and Tanatchai during the COVID-19 pandemic, and it has since grown to include contributions from a diverse group of artists. Initially, the videos were shared exclusively on Instagram, but in March 2023, we had the opportunity to exhibit the project at Bangkok University Gallery.

Installation view of “-onsite01” at BUG, March 2023

Up until that point, we had collaborated with a wide range of individuals, including artists, curators, and performers. We felt that it was important to involve an artist in the curation process to bring a fresh perspective. Thus, we decided to invite an artist to conceptualize the exhibition, which we titled “-onsite01,” with the intention of creating a series. For the inaugural exhibition, we invited Berlin-based Japanese artist Yuki Kishino to conceive an installation based on our existing works. The exhibition featured multiple video works, and we added an interactive element by placing a live camera in the venue, which streamed the space on our website. We believe this format allows for future iterations, with each exhibition featuring a different artist’s curatorial vision.

The Opening Exhibition “000”

Q: Let’s return to the STORAGE project. Can you tell us about its inception and your plans for it?

Our first exhibition was titled “000.” Seeing the space as an architectural work in itself, we decided to showcase it in its newly renovated state. The aim was to introduce the space to the public, highlighting its flexibility and potential. Rather than a traditional white cube, we wanted to demonstrate how the walls can be moved and reconfigured to create different atmospheres.

On opening day, visitors were intrigued by the space itself, spending time contemplating its possibilities. These moments inspired us to create exhibitions that would engage with the architecture as an integral part of the experience.

We’re particularly interested in artworks that interact with the space and challenge our perception of it. For our inaugural exhibition, we focused solely on the renovated space, showcasing the architect’s initial drawings and even offering a glimpse into the empty storage area before it was filled with the owner’s works. Interestingly, this decision to reveal a seemingly empty space sparked a great deal of creativity.

We received numerous proposals from artists and curators who visualized the potential of this unique venue.

Installation view of "000"

“Nesting Cavities”

The second exhibition I curated was a duo show “Nesting Cavities,” featuring the works of Thai artist Pratchaya Phinthong and Australian artist Nicholas Mangan.

Inspired by the “000” exhibition, where the architectural space itself was celebrated as an artwork, I wanted to create a show that would explore the relationship between place, body, and object within this unique venue.

STORAGE, with its flexible layout and the ability to transform from a storage space to an exhibition space, provided the perfect setting for this project. I envisioned a show that would bring together artists whose practices resonated with the concept of place and embodiment. Mangan’s work, with its focus on the transformation of place, body, and object, particularly his exploration of termites, seemed like a perfect fit. I noticed similarities between Mangan’s practice and that of Pratchaya, and decided to invite them both to participate in a duo show. Both artists expressed enthusiasm for collaborating, and so the “Nesting Cavities” exhibition was born.

I initially suggested that Pratchaya include some of his earlier works in the show, but he was eager to create a new piece. For this exhibition, he chose to work with a hornet nest he had collected over a decade ago. In Thailand, hornet nests are often seen as symbols of good luck and are hung in front of houses. Pratchaya’s piece, titled “Sacrifice depth for breadth,” explores the significance he attaches to this object, which he has carried with him for many years.

Installation view of "Nesting Cavities"

The artwork comprises handmade paper and a QR code linking to a video on YouTube. The video documents the exploration of a hornet’s nest using an endoscope. As the endoscope navigated the intricate interior, it inevitably damaged the nest’s delicate structure. He collected these fragments and sent them to a papermaker in Chiang Mai to create a new material. This handmade paper was then installed in a window space. The work presents a dual existence: a physical record placed in a real-world space and a digital record accessible in the virtual realm. The physical paper, created from the remnants of the nest, serves as a tangible artifact of the destructive process, while the video offers a virtual exploration of the same space. Together, they explore the concept of transformation, both in terms of the physical body and the space it inhabits.

Mangan’s exhibit features a 3D-printed replica of a termite nest, created using cutting-edge technology. This is the third installment in a series of three works.

The first two pieces explored the structure of termite nests and the role of pheromones in their complex social systems. This research was inspired by studies suggesting that termite nests could be used to locate gold deposits in Australia. The third and final piece in the series takes a more speculative turn, drawing parallels between the collective intelligence of termites and the human brain. It proposes that the human brain, as an individual unit, might serve as a conduit for the collective consciousness of society.

I chose the title “Nesting Cavities” to evoke the idea of creating something out of nothing, much like how animals and insects build nests in empty spaces. This title reflects the relationship between the artwork and the exhibition space.

STORAGEのこれから

Our third exhibition, “Re-surfacing,” curated by Pam, featured works by five artists from Thailand, China, Singapore, and Finland. The exhibition explored the concept of “surface” from diverse perspectives. Our final exhibition of the year will be curated by a collective from Singapore. We believe that curation doesn’t always have to be done in-house. For example, our current exhibition, which features film screenings by Australian artists and is curated by UK-based film curator May Adadol Ingawanij, is a result of a collaborative effort. The upcoming exhibition was initiated by a Singaporean collective (comprising one curator and three artists) who visited our inaugural exhibition, “000.” Intrigued by the history of the space and its former use as a printing press, they proposed an exhibition and secured funding from Singapore.

We identify ourselves as “persons who run” STORAGE. Rather than being full-time curators or artistic directors, we handle the day-to-day operations, including overseeing the space on open days. To keep costs down, we choose to manage the space ourselves, avoiding the expense of hiring staff.
While the owner covers the infrastructure costs, Pam and I are responsible for securing funding, collaborating with others, or using our own resources to support the space.
STORAGE is not a non-profit institution, so we do sell artworks. However, our primary motivation for organizing exhibitions is not financial gain but rather our personal interests. We created this space to show the art that truly excites us. When people ask about our curatorial direction, we simply say that we aim to present the kind of art we want to see in Bangkok. Over time, we believe that our programming will reveal a cohesive vision. Our approach to curating is rooted in our personal interests. We carefully select exhibitions that we believe will resonate with our audience and contribute to the broader art scene. We are particularly interested in showcasing the work of diverse artists, both local and international. We believe that diversity is essential for a healthy art ecosystem.
While we support artists, our ultimate goal is to create a space that is accessible to the public. By introducing works by international artists, we hope to enrich the local art scene and provide our audience with a more global perspective.

What remains/lost, the new/the old

Q: What kind of area is STORAGE located in?

I think you could say it’s in the old town of Bangkok. Phra Sumen Road connects to Ratchadamnoen Road, which leads to Khao San Road and Democracy Monument, so it’s both a tourist spot and a very local area, I think it’s a well-balanced area. This area has a lot of history and is interesting, and even Thais come here for sightseeing, so there are many things to show when artists from other countries or cities come here. Unlike the commercial center of Bangkok, it is part of the city but not too urban, with a touch of nostalgia, and a coexistence of tranquility and chaos. Since the Grand Palace is nearby, tall buildings are restricted, and the landscape is different from the center. It can also be reached from the center by boat through the canal, and I like the atmosphere of this town.

On the other hand, many things have changed. As the government cleans up the city, some things are lost. The flower market (Pak Klong Talad) used to have a special atmosphere along with the quality of the flowers, but now that it has been cleaned up, it doesn’t have the same vitality as before. A train station is also scheduled to be completed in four years, so the scenery will change even more. It is something we must consider whether it is good to just destroy the old and build new things for the next generation.

I want to introduce works that are related to this place and land. As an art space, I want to maintain a balance between the new and the old that should be preserved.

+++

In Bangkok, it’s common to see artist-run spaces and alternative spaces, those not backed by big capital, emerge and then disappear after a few years. Moreover, curator-run alternative spaces are relatively rare in Thailand.
Mary, who has experience running the Bangkok Experimental Film Festival and the alternative space “cloud,” has embarked on a new project with her friends.
With limited public funding in Thailand, the challenge of sustaining an art space is something I can deeply relate to. Given Bangkok’s dynamic art scene, I’m keen to collaborate with Mary and her team to create sustainable programs that connect local and international artists. To this end, I pledged to invite them to Nagoya in the near future.