Neighbour’s Pavillion

Artist: Krittaporn Mahaweerarat

The artist began to explore the history of the old wooden row house from the things that remain inside and the messages written on the doors and walls. She imagined the characteristics of the people who had lived there. Having lived in the community for a while, she is somewhat familiar with the people in the area. Especially during the transition period when many families have to move from cheap wooden rentals to new places. She lunches across the street and listens to their struggle finding a suitable place to live through a noodle cook, who is their neighbor.

Nonetheless, the difficulty is necessary because this wooden row house is about to collapse due to termite infestation. “Termites are eusocial insects that have a common ancestor with cockroaches… The first termites may have emerged during the Permian or even the Carboniferous period… Termites are one of the most successful groups of insects in the world because they are found on every continent in the world except Antarctica.” She read about termites and could not help but share this fact with audiences, therefore, it is written down in this curatorial statement.

In conclusion, termites are amazing creatures so she decided to imitate them. Not by gnawing wood and carrying dirt to build nests and glued with saliva, but by digesting the things that remain inside and using them to create something new. Unnecessary home decorations probably make the house a bitmore pleasant, though it is still not necessary in places where there are not any residents. This has no difference from the icon portraits that are often placed just to feel at ease.