Sornrapat Patharakorn

Spatial artist from Bangkok
By Ian Tee

Sornrapat Patharakorn, 'Golden Hour: from 8 minutes ago to what is yet to come', 2018, site specific installation, dimensions variable. Image courtesy of the artist.

Born in 1991 in Bangkok, Thailand, Sornrapat Patharakorn is an artist focused on human perception within the physical environment. He graduated from Chulalongkorn University with a Bachelor of Architecture and worked in the profession before receiving attention for his artistic practice. Since then, the young artist has presented work at various venues in Thailand as part of the Bangkok Biennial Pavilion (2018), and at 'Spectrosynthesis II' (2020) in collaboration with Samak Kosem. In 2019, he was selected as one of the BRANDNEW Art Project artists. 

Sornrapat’s works utilise, focus or redirect light to create spatial experiences. Often, the existing conditions of a place are vital parts of his installation, and these include both man-made features and natural elements such as the direction of sunlight. An important piece by the artist is ‘Golden Hour: from 8 minutes ago to what is yet to come’ (2018), a site-specific installation outside Praisaneeyakan in Bangkok. The building is a truncated replica of the original 1871 mansion which faces a second demolition. Sornrapat’s intervention was a four-metre tall mirror tilted at an angle that reflects sunlight to the opposite end of the compound, creating a light image of the window which only lasts for fleeting moments. Its transience suggests a glimpse into the future marked by continuous change.

Click here to read our conversation with Sonrapat, where he talks about his introduction to contemporary art, how art and architecture comes together in his work, and the importance of community in sustaining one’s practice.