Published on September 18, 2006 - Dozens of artists have worked to add a Thai touch to the sleek, modern airport with paintings, sculptures and murals that make it, in the words of the man in charge, a ‘living museum’

Passengers at the new international Suvarna-bhumi Airport are expected to admire not only its advanced design, modern architecture and sheer size, but also the contemporary Thai art scattered around what is hoped will become the new aviation hub of the region.

The artworks are also an answer to the complaint raised by some people that the airport’s design, by German architect Helmut Jahn of Chicago-based Murphy Jahn
Inc, has no elements reflecting “Thainess”.

All put together within a budget of about Bt100 million, Suvarna-bhumi’s artistic decor comprises 12 demons from the “Ramayana” epic, four gigantic mural paintings to welcome arrivals at the baggage claim, 94 oil paint-injected reproductions of works by renowned artists lining the concourses and four pavilions highlighting four different styles of traditional Thai homes.

“As we couldn’t change the outer structure, we tried to give a touch of Thainess to the interior design; not in the old traditional style but in a contemporary style that fits in with the modern design of the airport,” says Panya Vijinthanasarn, the dean of Silpakorn University’s Faculty of Painting, Sculpture and Graphic Arts and the artistic coordinator for Suvarnabhumi’s interior decor.

“With all its art, this airport could be considered a living museum. Considering the number of artworks needed to decorate the massive area of the airport, the budget actually wasn’t enough. The artists didn’t get much money, but it was a good opportunity for them to show their work to the public – both Thais and foreigners,” he adds.

The 12 huge demons – reproductions of those at Wat Phra Kaew – were created by artisans in Uthai Thani province under the direction of famous sculptor Nonthivathn Chandhanapalin, the former dean of Silpakorn’s Faculty of Painting, Sculpture and Graphic Arts.

On the second floor of the concourse area stands a giant sculpture 3 metres wide, 21 metres long and 5.50 metres high. Designed by Fine Arts Department artisan Nikhom Pholyiem, the sculpture depicts a scene from the mythological tale of the churning of the Ocean of Milk to get “amarit”, the elixir of immortality. This sculpture is meant to signify glory and prosperity for the new airport.

Panya says the highlight of the artworks is the four huge mural paintings that welcome arrivals at the baggage claim area. Three of them were created by Panya and a team of 16 artists and the fourth is a collaborative piece by 36 art lecturers from Silpakorn University.

The three murals by Panya and his team are entitled “Suvarnabhumi Daowadeung”, “Dan Sruang Phi-suth” and “Ananda Mahanakorn”, while the one by Silpakorn artists is titled “Art for Suvarnabhumi”.

Each mural is four metres high and extends 35 metres along the length of the baggage carousels. It was created in 35 sections to make it easier to paint and install. The paintings are in special acrylic paint that creates a similar effect to the tempera used to paint old temple murals. These works are meant to give visitors their first impression of Thailand before they get to witness the real thing outside.

Panya explains that the first mural, “Suvarnabhumi Daowa-deung”, (or “Suvarnbhumi: Tavati-msa” – Tavatimsa is the second of the six tiers of heaven).

“In mythology, the Daowadeung heaven is the centre of universe, and the airport stands on ancient trade routes. I tried to merge these two important centres to highlight that the Suvarnabhumi Airport is the new central attraction of the region,” he says.

The work is divided into three parts. The central part depicts the Daowadeung heaven according to mythical belief, on its left is a depiction of the modern world with a bird’s-eye view of the landscape around Suvarnabhumi. The Thai way of life and 12 zodiacal constellations used in astrology are depicted on the right.

The second mural, “Dan Sruang Phisuth” (The Land of the Heaven), is a delicate creation in glittering gold and red shades. It portrays an assemblage of deities, including Vishnu, Indra, Narai, Brahma, Shiva and Ganesha.

“According to Thai beliefs, we have the spirit house to protect our homes and big buildings have the Brahma shrine for the same reason. This mural is meant to invite all respected gods to descend from the heavens to protect the airport and the passengers,” says Panya.

“This mural is painted meticulously in glittering gold shades to respect these gods, whereas ‘Suvar-nabhumi Daowadeung’ has stronger shades and a modern look.”

His final piece “Ananda Mahanakorn” (The Great City) depicts Bangkok past and present. We can see Phu Khao Thong (The Golden Temple), Wat Arun, Sumeru Fort and high-rise buildings on one side and the Royal Barges, children playing chess and cockhorse on the other. The logo for the celebration of the 60th anniversary of His Majesty the King’s accession to the throne and the book “Khun Thongdaeng” about His Majesty’s favourite dog are also depicted.

Following the practice of painters of yore who always added a touch of humour to their work, you will see Panya and his team in the left-hand corner of the painting if you look closely.

The “Art for Suvarnabhumi” mural is made up of 36 pieces – one from each artist. The works are in a variety of styles such as abstract, realistic and mixed media and mostly depict Buddha images and temples. Among the artists who contributed to this piece are Vichoke Muk-damanee, Kanya Charoensupkul, Thavorn Ko-Udomvit, Sutee Kunavichayanont and Paiwate Wangbon.

“The artists created these works to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the faculty in 2003 and they were willing to give them to the airport,” says Panya.

If you have the energy to view even more art, there are the 94 reproductions of works by 66 famous artists on 66 boards along the concourses. Each work has been blown up to 3 metres in height and their widths vary according to the original proportions.

Among these works are three well-known paintings “Morning”, “Mother’s Love” and “Owl” by Prayad Pongdam, “Right View” by Angkarn Kalayanapongsa, “The Way of Nirvana” by Pichai Niran and “The Great Departure” by Chuang Moolpinit.

“When you get bored waiting for your flight, you can spend time absorbing these artworks. I believe it’s a way to raise people’s awareness of quality art,” says Panya.

Outside the airport, there’s also a statue of a kinaree – the mythological half-woman half-bird – performing a wai along the road leading to the terminal, whose glass doors are guarded by dhavaraban – the guardian of the entrance, though this looks odd against the airport’s sleek, modern architecture.

Khetsirin Pholdhampalit
The Nation