Apichatpong Weerasethakul: The Serenity of Madness

A leading figure in contemporary film and art, Apichatpong Weerasethakul has developed a singular realist-surrealist style in which he portrays the everyday alongside supernatural elements suggesting a distortion between fact and folklore, the subconscious and the exposed, and various disparities of power. His work reveals stories often excluded in history in and out of Thailand: voices of the poor and the ill, marginalized beings, and those silenced and censored for personal and political reasons.

Curated by Gridthiya Gaweewong, this new solo exhibition uniquely presents a collection of rarely-seen experimental short films and video installations by Weerasethakul, alongside his photography, paintings, sketches, and archival material that explore threads of socio-political commentary. His passionate positions regarding class, labor, sexuality, science and spirituality have informed his practice from early in his career to the present.

Publication
In conjunction with the exhibition, ICI will publish The Apichatpong Weerasethakul Sourcebook. The Sourcebook series is dedicated to contemporary artists' personal perspectives on social, political, and cultural issues. Each book, edited by a single artist, includes a collection of primary research materials and influences, such as rare archival documents, artwork studies, and excerpts of landmark publications, selected from the artist's own archive and annotated with personal commentary.