Planetary Seed is a collaborative exhibition by Thai artist Wit Pimkanchanapong and a living room for seed. This immersive experience invites viewers to delve into concepts of coexistence of self-reliance and endemic ways of life as they journey through the dynamic, ever-morphing pathways of the maze. The multi-dimensional maze constructed by Wit in Planetary Seed is rooted in the maze traditions and beliefs of the Shan and Karen peoples. These traditions are linked to the legend of the Vessantara Jātaka, which narrates the story of the Bodhisattva's last life before his birth as the Buddha. In practicing the perfection of generosity, Vessantara embarked on a journey through a winding path, perplexing to navigate out, akin to a maze.

The indigenous maze of the Karen people is woven from bamboo, creating a path for villagers to walk in to pay homage to the Buddha statue enshrined at its center. This type of maze is rarely seen and is often associated with local festivals such as the Mahachati Preaching, Boon Phawet Ceremony, Songkran, and Yi Peng Festival, particularly in the northeastern and northern regions of Thailand. Wit has reimagined the multi-dimensional maze by integrating innovation, technology, and computation with the indigenous culture of Southeast Asia. Presented as an experience-based art installation, it invites visitors to immerse themselves in a journey of exploration and encounter experiences of trial and error, reflecting the path to enlightenment.

This iteration has evolved into a dynamic maze that continually shifts. 惑星的共自在性 <Planetary Coexistence of Self-reliance> The term Wakusei/惑星, a Sino-Japanese word for "planet," derives from the Greek word planḗtai, which means “wanderer.” This word consists of two characters: Wandering and Stars (惑 and 星). In the ceaseless movement of these individual bodies, their flickering movements deliver a faint yet unwavering ray of light to somewhere beyond time and space. This gentle glow evokes the traces of all lives and movements, intersecting on an eternal horizon of moments. Perhaps, like these celestial bodies, we are also planting drifting across spaces that may not make much sense at first sight, even perplexing ourselves, but weaving a certain intricate orbit in the co-influence and presence of everything else.

 

• Phase II Naga ( Starting 15 August)  

PARTICIPATED ARTISTS:
Chutinun Mora
Naruechit Sunthornsanan
Noppanan Thannaree
Nino Sarabutra
Polpich Komson
Sathok Tunyapakornsiri
Som Supaparinya
Watchara Pipattanapaiboon

Naga, Phase II of the exhibition "Planetary Seed ● จร ● 惑星的共自在性" by Wit Pimkanchanapong, in collaboration with living room for seed and eight invited artists, presenting stories, landscapes, and various aspects of existence along the Mekong River through a maze that continually changes its scenery and experience, depending on the generated pathway that appears.

At the beginning of the exhibition "Planetary Seed ● จร ● 惑星的共自在性", Wit Pimkanchanapong integrated Southeast Asian indigenous traditions with innovation, technology, and computation to create the ever-morphing maze. In Naga, Phase II of the exhibition, Pimkanchanapong expanded the scope of the maze into a sub-gallery space that can change its architectural body by inviting eight artists to exhibit photographs, paintings, and writings that narrate stories about the Mekong River within the maze. Each movement of the maze changes the terrain of storytelling and offers an unpredictable perspective on the individual works, like the physical geography of the Mekong River, which moves and morphs as if it were alive, transforming with every interaction.

• Phase III  いづこへ / Izuko-e Where do we go? (Starting 17 October)  

When we stand at the critical threshold of life and death, our sensitivity, which had been closed in our daily life, may open up, and there we might realize what we have forgotten. Social systems falter, and life and death intermingle in the chaos that arises from multiple origins. We are drawn into the fluid space between the unconscious and the conscious, compelled to feel, think, and experience anew.

In our current reality, people around the globe face unprecedented climate disasters—floods, fires, and storms. Each morning brings news of conflicts claiming countless lives, even threatening the use of nuclear weapons. At this critical juncture, we reflect on the lessons learned from the Great East Japan Earthquake of 11 March 2011, when entire cities and thousands of lives were swept away in hours. This pivotal moment for each artist involved a starting point for new paths to emerge. Where do we go from here? Standing here now, we face infinite openness. The maze before us, seemingly leading somewhere, becomes a grain of planetary seed—a step toward interdependence in this vast openness.

This project stems from several years of research and dialogue between Wit Pimkanchanapong and living room for seed, in collaboration with communities across Thailand and Japan. The multi-layered program includes works such as Letters from the Sages, collaborations with university and local communities, children's workshops, and talks, curated and organized by Kayoko Iemura and Tyuki Imamura.

Participating artists from living room for seed: Wit Pimkanchanapong, Ryusuke Kido, Daisuke Nagaoka, Yukiko Watanabe, and Dinh Q. Lê.

Special participating artist: Chris Wainwright

 

In cooperation with

Japan Arts and Culture Foundation ● CARD Inc. ● Gassan Tsutaya

Special Thanks:

The Jim Thompson Art Center ● supernormal studio ● JWD Art Space