Art lovers are invited to rediscover the forgotten Pompadour orchid and contemplate the mechanism of valuation during "To Fall From Grace", which is running at SAC Gallery until Feb 28.
The exhibition is a culmination of Naraphat Sakarthornsap's research into the history and market of orchids in Thailand, tracing the orchid's trajectory from its status as an object of elite desire during the colonial era, to its current status as the country's number one cut-flower export.
The series originated from the artist's quest to find the Dendrobium Pompadour. Once a glorious species that generated profit for the Thai orchid market, it has since fallen from favour and faded away to be replaced by the ubiquitous purple and white Dendrobium Sonia.
On one side, the artist chooses to reveal only partial views of the Pompadour. From images of enlarged petals to sculpture made of real gold hand-fabricated per the artist's verbal explanations, these artworks serve as artistic mementos and an act of reclaiming value for a species whose decline the artist deeply laments.
On the other side, Dendrobium Sonia takes over the space. Saturated, sickly glossy images evoke staged commercial ads aimed for perfection, seducing yet stiff.
Running parallel to these historical narratives is the artist's personal queer experience. The disappearance of the Pompadour becomes a metaphor for the pressures that shape queer identity, including the subtle coercions that compel individuals to adjust their expression in exchange for acceptance.
The Sonia hybrid, valued for uniformity, familiarity and commercial appeal, becomes a botanical analogue for systems that encourage sameness, stereotype and conformity.
The exhibition conveys both the artist's personal sense of longing for what he has sought for so long and an awareness of the impermanence of value itself, which may shift over time as quietly and gracefully as falling petals.
SAC Gallery is on Sukhumvit 39 and opens daily from 11am to 6pm, except Monday.
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