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Published on August 5, 2007

The Culture Ministry's Office of Contemporary Art and Culture (OCAC) recently announced the names of seven contemporary artists who have won the fourth Silpathorn Awards, which are aimed at supporting and promoting mid-career artists.

The awards are divided into five fields - visual arts, literature, performing arts, film and music. Unlike previous years, which have seen a prize going to one outstanding person in each field, this year's award in visual arts has been given to three artists - Rirkrit Tiravanija, Vasan Sitthiket and Pinaree Sanpitak.

Other prizes are awarded to writer Siriworn Kaewkan, music composer Narong Prangcharoen, performer Nimit Pipithkul and filmmaker Thunska Pansittivorakul.

Each will receive Bt100,000 and a Silpathorn pin made of yellow and white gold encrusted with diamonds and emeralds.

Rirkrit is most famously known for cooking Thai curries in galleries and holding parties instead of exhibitions around the globe. His aim, in part, is to throw into question the established relationship between artists and institutions, art and its public.

At his show at London's Serpentine Gallery several years ago, for instance, he invited people to participate and behave in the gallery as they would at home, cooking and even taking a bath. He travels the world and makes his home in New York, Berlin and Chiang Mai.

The outspoken artist Vasan is well known for his controversial works in various techniques from woodcuts, paintings, sculptures and video art to performance, music and poems. He frequently presents self-portraits that have him mocking social ills and politics.

Female artist Pinaree has, for a decade, used aspects of the female form as gender metaphors that are, at the same time, universal and deeply personal. Breasts become temple stupas in her installation art, then morph into cooking moulds in her ongoing "Breast Stupa Cookery" project, in which she invites guest chefs and artists to create special menus using her mammaries.

Siriworn is a new-wave writer whose compilation "Rueng Lao Khong Khon Banthuek Rueng Lao Thee Nak Lao Rueng Khon Nueng Lao Hai Fang" won an award for best short stories at the 2004 National Book Fair. His novels, story collections and poems invariably reflect materialism in today's society.

Narong composes both classical and contemporary music and currently teaches piano and music composition at the Community Music and Dance Academy Conservatory of Music, University of Missouri-Kansas City, USA. He has composed pieces for wind symphony, chamber and concerto. His piece "Phenomenon" won the grand prize at the Pacific Symphony's American Composer Competition in 2005.

Performer Nimit was a prominent figure of Crescent Moon Theatre and received critical acclaim for his portrayal of Field Marshal Pleak Phibunsongkhram in the remarkable play "Kue Phoo Apiwat 2475" (The 1932 Revolutionist). He now runs his own art house, "Sema Thai", promoting ethics and morals through puppet theatres performed by young people.

Filmmaker Thunska is the founder of www.thaiindie.com, a website for non-mainstream Thai filmmakers with distinct styles. He has made several shorts and feature documentaries that have been screened at a number of international film festivals including the International Film Festival Rotterdam (The Netherlands), Vision du reel (Switzerland) and the Hong Kong International Film Festival.

His 2003 documentary "Happy Berry"  won the Grand Prize at the 4th Taiwan International Documentary Festival 2004 and his first 35mm film project, "Heartbreak Pavilion", won the Pusan Promotion Plan's top award at the 10th Pusan International Film Festival 2005, South Korea.

The award presentation and exhibition will be held on September 6 at the Queen's Gallery on Rajadamnoen Klang Road off Phan Fah Bridge.