"Introducing contemporary art by Thai artists at the Lincoln Centre, one of the world's prominent art institutes, for us was an interesting metaphor," said artistic director Rirkrit Tiravanija.

The three nightly performances of "Ramakian: A Rak Opera" were sold out and hailed by critics from The New York Times, The New Yorker, New York magazine and Newsday (New York).

The 90-minute post-modern rock opera mixed traditional art forms like shadow puppets, murals and a Thai orchestra with contemporary multimedia arts and techno music.

"With a limited budget and collaboration time we think the project was a success in terms of multi-disciplinary production with leading Thai artists," said Rirkrit, adding that while the incident of the thrown punches was a distraction, the show must go on.

"The Roy and Edna Disney/CalArts Theatre in Los Angeles are interested in this production," he revealed.

However, local reporters here who didn't see the show focused on the two rock stars fighting, instead of the production itself, and seemed confused by the mingling of styles. Moreover, the Culture Ministry thought this avant-garde production was a sensitive issue because it mixed the traditional and the new.

Pichet, who this year won the Silpathorn Award presented by Culture Ministry's Office of Contemporary Arts and Culture, has been asked to explain to the ministry about the wisdom of his choice in mixing the traditional with the contemporary.

"Don't mix them up, we did not present Khon [the traditional Thai masked dance].

"This piece was a contemporary theatrical creation," explained Pichet, who trained with the late Thai Khon master Bunyong Ketkong for more than a decade.

Noi of Pru, Sek Loso, and producer Tim Carr, failed to attend the press conference.

Phatarawadee Phataranawik

The Nation