The communication of “Suvarnabhumi” concept through painting at Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA)

Abstract

        This study aims to comprehend: 1) the methods of signification of the Suvarnabhumi concept through the paintings in the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA); 2) the meaning shifts via the figurative symbols from Thai traditional painting to contemporary painting; and 3) the connections between the art exhibition location of the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) and Suvarnabhumi. The theoretical notions were founded on the concepts of painting communication, creative composition, and interpretation. Textual analysis was used to perform qualitative research on 16 Thai modern painting, and in-depth interviews were done with 8 key informants linked with painting design and production.

        The results revealed that 1) The methods of signification of the Suvarnabhumi concept through the painting in the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) were a) the intertextuality creation with religious literature related to the painting reflecting the Suvarnabhumi concept, and b) the encoding of the painting's figurative language through the iconography. 2) The meaning alterations via the figurative symbols of Thai contemporary painting include a) the icon alteration of the ideal iconography from Thai traditional painting to realism, b) the color scheme usage alteration from a simple flat color scheme in Thai tradition painting to more realistic colors according to the painting principle of the Renaissance era, and c) the construction alteration from the traditional painting composition deconstruction to the individual art piece. 3) The relationships between the art exhibition location and the Suvarnabhumi concept were as follows: a) the museum location harmonizing with the artistic communication context reflecting the Suvarnabhumi concept; b) the art exhibition location design assorting with the implicit visual communication priorities; and c) the significance of assembling and creating communication between art and location in order to generate an aura of authenticity in the Suvarnabhumi concept.