Many traditional performances have lost popularity because they fail to adapt with the times. Molam is an excellent example of an Isan performing art that has incorporated modern features with traditional characteristics and remains popular today.
The vibe of molam performances, including lighting, music and staging, was recreated in a for an art exhibition titled “Mor Thee Dee Kue Molam [The Movement Of Molam]” at MMAD – MunMun Art Destination, Seacon Srinakarin. Pitsawat Wannafoo, the exhibition curator, revealed the reason he organised this exhibition is because there has never been an art show about molam before.
“I am from Lampang and first heard of molam when I was a university student in Bangkok. I had many Isan friends who often listened to molam which gradually led me to become more familiar with it and enjoy it,” explained Pitsawat.
“MMAD – MunMun Art Destination briefed me that they wanted an art exhibition that had never been created before. The exhibition was supposed to be fun and accessible to everyone, so I chose to work on content that I like and it became this.
“The exhibition does not focus on research or informative content. It presents the culture of molam from the perspective of outsiders. It focuses only on elements of molam performance, such as light and sound. The audience will not see a molam stage at the exhibition, but feel the mood, melody and lights of molam through various shapes and movements which create interaction with the audience.”
There are three parts to the exhibition. The first displays the kinetic sculpture titled Fawn created by artist Wit Pimkanchanapong. The second part is a stage design exhibition featuring steel scaffolding with LED lights and background music performed by Paradise Bangkok and Plern Vern. The final part displays photos taken by photographers Kanyarat Mongkol, Sarunthorn Chatulaksameepat and Mok Lachantra.
Wit’s first kinetic sculpture titled Myyarab was displayed in the hall of Bangkok Art and Culture Centre in 2008. The exhibition space at MMAD reminded Wit of that hall, so he decided to remaster Myyarab to Fawn, or Myyarab v3. Unlike Myyarab, Fawn, which refers to specific dance postures, conveys the message of cultural movement through the lights, colours and lines of the sculpture that sway and twist to reflect the story of molam as a performing art that is constantly evolving.
“Myyarab is entirely electric and programmable. Without electronic motion control, Fawn has switched to a pulley system with a single motor in the centre that pulls a rope, which then continues to pull in a spiral loop. Using the mechanism is something I had wanted to work on for a long time. The pulley system is a very basic mechanism, but it takes a lot of time to practice and learn,” explained Wit.
“The moving parts of Myyarab were painted wooden panels, but Fawn has fluorescent lights instead. These fluorescent lights are considered local products since they are easy to purchase on digital shopping platforms.
“My colleague who is a university lecturer in textiles told me that Fawn’s rope control system resembles a loom. This made me want to explore more about weaving to learn more techniques. Fawn was like my technical breakthrough. I will create works with more techniques like this in the future.”
For the second part, steel scaffolding is used because it is part of contemporary molam stage design. LED light effects were designed to sync with musical rhythms. When entering the area, visitors will hear music recorded by Paradise Bangkok and Plern Vern.
Paradise Bangkok is a molam international band which combines traditional Thai music with modern influences. The group has gained international recognition and performed at international music festivals including Glastonbury in the UK, Fuji Rock in Japan and Fusion Festival in Germany.
Plern Vern consists of two multimedia artists who have a special interest in the sounds of Isan culture, media art and electronic music.
“The background music of the exhibition are six songs chosen from Paradise Bangkok’s debut album 21st Century Molam. I personally like Paradise Bangkok; I have listened to their music since their debut. 21st Century Molam was their most successful album which played a crucial role in helping the group to perform at international music festivals,” explained Pitsawat.
The two members of Plern Vern are friends who grew up with Isan culture, so they use khaen, an Isan mouth organ, or other Isan instruments to compose their music. They created a special song for this exhibition.
The final section showcases photographs taken by Kanyarat Mongkol, Sarunthorn Chatulaksameepat and Mok Lachantra.
Kanyarat is a documentary photographer who showcases the collection Na Han (In Front Of The Performance Stage), which conveys the beauty and realities of molam bands. Photographs reveal both front and backstage scenes.
Sarunthorn displays the collection Mor Lam And The Tootsies which follows the life of an LGBTI singer in a molam band. It shows that the band is a workplace with gender diversity and an LGBTI individual brings colour to performances.
Mok presents his collection Muan Juat (Totally Fun) which focuses on concertgoers. Mok captured audiences’ reactions to a performance of Rabieb Watasilp, a well-known molam group. Though it was raining, nobody left; concertgoers waited until the rain stopped to enjoy the performance. Mok said the atmosphere was fun and relaxing. It was the first time that he saw a concertgoer bring fresh vegetables to eat with sausage and dip.
When asked how molam maintains its popularity with the changing times, Pitsawat said it adapts with cultural development.
“Molam music does not have a limited format. Musicians can take the sound of Isan instruments and mix them with contemporary music. For example, when Paradise Bangkok performed at various festivals, they took the sound of the khaen and the phin and mixed it with contemporary sounds. Moreover, Plern Vern creates art pieces by taking Isan melodies and mixing them with electronic sounds.”
As exhibition curator, Pitsawat hopes that visitors will feel and move along to the rhythms of molam.
“I do not expect people to understand the concept or meaning of each artwork. I hope they enjoy molam music, the rhythm of rotating and blinking lights. I hope that when they hear molam, they move their hands, feet or sway along with the rhythm.”