An exhibition space hosts a cave-like ritual where people gather to simply take in the light. It is the most primitive form of cinema back when stories were imagined from a blaze. The work is a reflection of Apichatpong’s ’Home’ in Mae Rim, Chiang Mai, Thailand. The place is surrounded by insects, heat and smoke during March. It is also right next to the army camp. Since the coup d'état in May 2014, the military junta has silenced critics by force and intimidation. In this home-cave, the heat is both comfortable and threatening. A fireball is an organic-like machine with phantom fans to blow away the heat and, at the same time, rouse the fire, which is impossible to put out even in dreams.
This work was exhibited for the first time at the 20th Biennale of Sydney “The future is already here — it’s just not evenly distributed” (Australia, 2016) and also shown at the exhibition “Body/Play/Politics” at the Yokohama Museum of Art (Japan, 2016).
Detail pictures: