Art and Politics (2) Conflict of Images—2020s Thailand

In recent times, images have often been used to unify the people of Thailand. There’s the image of a paternalistic and authoritarian parent-child relationship where the king is the “benevolent father” and the people his “children.” Or the tricolor flag representing the three principles of the nation. Portraits of royalty and military leaders flood the streets, TV screens, and movie theaters. Beginning in 2020, the pro-democracy movement, led by young people, has made efforts to deconstruct the meanings attached to these images and reappropriate them to create a new space for critique in Thai society. Sho Fukutomi, a Thai literature researcher who has close relationships with various Thai artists including in the performing arts, examines this new trend through works of literature, art, and theater.

Guest: Sho Fukutomi (Thai Literary Researcher / Thai-Japanese Translator)
Host: Naoto Moriyama (Theater Critic)