Thailand Biennale Launch 2018

2018, Nang Beach, adjacent to Princes Cave, Krabi
Circumference of island approx 30m
Gilded area H 2m
Small Island, Aluminium sheet and gold leaf

Commissioned by Thailand Biennale 2018

For Thailand Biennale 2018, Phaophanit and Oboussier were commissioned to make a part-performative installation work which covers the rock surface of a small island located in front of the famous Phra Nang Cave Beach in Krabi, with just under a kilo of pure gold that has been hammered into fine leaf. The gilding starts from the base of the island and extends up in a diminishing gradation until it seems to diffuse entirely in to the rock surface. This creates a golden threshold between land and sea, in a natural margin that is ultimately always in transition towards disappearance. Gilding the Border uses gold to represent the connection between history, religions, rituals, and people lives. Its associations range from those of mystical illumination to monetary investment, from imperishability to merit accumulation. The artwork reconnects the sacred with the earthly, the immaterial with the material, suggesting perhaps that one can find cosmic value in the natural world.
Gilding the Border remains an unfinished work.

http://thailandbiennale.org/en_US/

Feature article on Vong and Claire in Thai newspaper Matichon: https://www.matichon.co.th/news/761478