As yet unnamed

As Yet Unnamed is a collective of emerging artists, currently based at Misiem’s (About Studio/About Café) in Bangkok’s Chinatown. Apart from exhibitions, As Yet Unnamed hosts regular events and discussions, with the aim of opening up conversations about contemporary art.

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“The lesson to be learned here… is that the divide friend/enemy is never just the representation of a factual difference: the enemy is by definition, always — up to a point, at least — invisible; he looks like one of us; he cannot be directly recognized — this is why the big problem and task of political struggle is providing/constructing a recognizable image of the enemy.”

(Slavoj Zizek, Welcome to the Desert of the Real)

Bloodshed

Thailand’s recent political history is marked by bloodless coups, but uprising against those in power are often brutal. It happened again yesterday, and blood is once more flowing in the streets of Bangkok.

The first incidents of violence erupted early yesterday morning in front of parliament on Ratchawithi road. Riot police launched a surprise tear gas attack on thousands of People’s Alliance for Democracy supporters who had sealed all entrances to the building since Monday night to stop the government from delivering its policy statement.

As the day wore on, further incidents of ferocity broke out. Irate demonstrators who had sealed off the metropolitan Police Bureau were hit with a barrage of tears gas and flash and smoke grenades fired by police. When they turned back to parliament to isolate it yet again, they were hit with more. By that time, hundreds of people, including MPs, senators and parliament officials, were trapped inside the building.

As the area around the Royal Plaza rocked to the sounds of explosions, two people lost their lives, one in a car explosion, and another later in hospital. Hundreds of demonstrators and police were wounded, with five demonstrators losing parts of their legs. Although the government managed to complete its policy statement to legalize its administrative power, outside it seems the political chaos has risen to a level it will be unable to manage. (Bangkok Post, Wednesday, October 8, 2008)

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Donald Rumsfeld philosophizing about the relationship between the known and the unknown: “There are known knowns. These are things we know that we know. There are known unknown. That is to say, there are things that we know we don’t know. But there are also unknown unknowns. There are things we don’t know we don’t know.”

What he forgot to add was the crucial fourth term: the “unknown knows,” things we don’t know that we know — which is precisely the Freudian unconscious, the “knowledge which doesn’t know itself.” (Slavoj Zizek)

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The princess of Thailand said Thursday that she does not believe protests in her home country are being staged to benefit the monarchy.

Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn talked about the importance of public service Thursday at the Choate Rosemary Hall prep school in Wallingford. She later headed to the University of Pennsylvania for a US-Thailand education discussion.

Her visit came amid the worst political violence in Thailand in more than a decade. Thousands of protesters have camped at the main government office complex to demand electoral changes and an end to corruption in Thai politics.

In violent clashes on Tuesday, 423 protesters and 20 police were injured, Thai medical authorities said. One woman was killed, and a man died in what appeared to be a related incident.

It was the worst political violence since 1992, when the army killed dozens of pro-democracy demonstrators seeking the ouster of a military-backed government.

The princess was asked at a press conference following her talk whether she agreed with protesters who say they are acting on behalf of the monarchy.

“I don’t think so,” she replied. “They do things for themselves.”

Asked why the king has not spoken out, she said, “I don’t know because I haven’t asked him.”

Protest leaders have called for the prosecution of people who insult the monarchy. One leader wants to abandon Thailand’s popularly elected Parliament for one in which a majority of members would be appointed.

Some academics have said the plan would enhance the power of the country’s military and monarchy at the expense of the poor.

“There are a lot of political problems,” the princess said. “I told my friends, colleagues just to do what is their duty.” (Hartford Courant:www.courant.com: Associated Press, October 9, 2008)

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Slavoj Zizek cites an old Eastern European joke in the introduction to his book Welcome to the Desert of the Real. The joke goes like this: A Czech (or East German or Polish) worker is transferred to Siberia. He knows that when he writes letters from Siberia to his friends at home they will be read by the censors and so he tells his friends: “Let’s establish a code: if a letter you receive from me is written in normal blue ink, it’s true; if it is written in red ink, it’s false.” After a month, his friends receive a letter written in blue ink: “Everything is great here in Siberia: the shops are full, there is plenty of food, there are great and beautiful apartments, you can see all the latest Western films in the cinema and there are beautiful girls ready to go out with you — the only thing that you cannot get here is red ink.”

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A comparatively small group of soldiers and civil servants, however, felt that the time for a change had come. This led to an almost bloodless “revolution” in the early morning of June 24, 1932 by the so-called People’s Party (Khana Ratsadorn) who took control of one of the royal palaces in Bangkok and arrested key officials (mainly the princes) while the king was at his summer retreat in Hua Hin. The People’s Party demanded that Prajadhipok agree to become a constitutional monarch and grant the Thai people a constitution. The King agreed and the first “permanent” constitution was promulgated on December 10, 1932.

His arrival back in Bangkok on June 26 dispelled for the time being any thoughts the promoters might have had of establishing a republic. One of his first acts was to receive some of the leading promoters in audience: as they entered the room, the King greeted them with the words “I rise in honor of the Khana Ratsadorn.” It was a very significant gesture. According to Siamese tradition, monarchs remain seated while their subjects make obeisance. (From wikipedia.com)

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From Slavoj Zizek: “The king descends into despair when the three leave for the forest, and dies soon afterwards. All this while, Bharata and Shatrughna have been away from the kingdom. They are summoned upon their father’s death, and when they arrive are told what has happened. Bharata is aghast at his mother’s greed (ostensibly for his good), and promises that he will restore Rama as king. He travels to the forest to convince Rama to return to Ayodhya. Rama refuses on the grounds that he must obey his father’s command but allows Bharata to take Rama’s sandals back to Ayodhya so that Bharata can symbolically enthrone Rama’s sandals and rule as regent for Rama.”

The story details the experiences of the trio in the forest, especially how the royals, used to soft living and multitudes of servants, train themselves to live frugally amid nature and become self-sufficient. It also covers the interactions between them and the various hermits and sages living in the forest, some of whom realize the divinity of Rama. Rama and Lakshmana frequently battle the forest demons that disturb the hermits’ meditations.

Again, Slavoj Zizek: “One of the demons defeated by them decides to take revenge. She describes the beauty of Sita to her brother, Ravana, the demon king of Lanka (modern-day Sri Lanka). Ravana decides that he must possess Sita, and has one of his brothers take the form of a deer to attract Sita’s attention. Sita sends out Rama to capture the deer for her as a pet. The deer leads Rama far away from their cottage, and when Rama realizes that this is no ordinary deer, he kills it. The dying demon shouts Sita’s and Lakshmana’s names in Rama’s voice, causing Sita to send Lakshmana out to help Rama. When the cottage is thus unguarded, Ravana sweeps in, kidnaps Sita and flies off to Lanka. When Rama sees Lakshmana approaching him, he at once realizes the trick. They both run back to the cottage to find it empty.”

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Arts Network Asia (ANA) is a group of independent artists, cultural workers and arts activists primarily from Southeast Asia that encourages and supports regional artistic collaboration as well as develops managerial and administrative skills within Asia. Arts Network Asia is motivated by the philosophy of meaningful collaboration, distinguished by mutual respect, initiated in Asia and carried out together with Asian artists.