Saigon Open City co-creative directors Jeab and Rirkrit explain the concept for the 2-year project that will unfold in chapters beginning late this year. Approximately 20 Saigon-based artists were in attendance along with Hanoi-based Tran Luong and Mai Chi who helped facilitate the event. Artists were asked to present short briefs of their work to assist the organizers with the terrain and people of the city. They will be departing for Hanoi in the next days to continue their research before returning to Bangkok.

Jeab went out of her way to bring along the recently published Public In(ter)vention and the catalog from Project 304's 4th Bangkok Experimental Film Festival two my video pieces, Missed Connections and Body Frame/Video Frame screened in the festival. Public In(ter)vention is perhaps the best book on contemporary art in Southeast Asia:

Fly with Me to Another World is an art project initiated by Navin Rawanchaikul, a Thai artists who was inspired by the journey of pioneer Thai artists Ingon Wongsam. The project launched in 1999 and travelled to several international art spaces. Mirroring Inson's return to Thailand after years of experience abroad, in 2004 Navin returned the Project to Lamphun, Inson's hometown, which prompted a year of collaborations between artists, grassroots groups and community members. Project activities ended in February 2005 with the international symposium Public Art In(ter)vention. Thai and international participants debated 'art' and the 'public' drawing of their experiences and examples from their specific contexts.

Continuing the momentum of the Symposium, Fly with Me to Another World Project initiated another intervention in the form of an edited volume of writings with contributions from artists, critics, curators, directors of art spaces and grassroots organizers.

I first laid eyes on this book last weekend in Chiangmai when Jay Santhipap brought home a copy upon his return from the exhibition in Bangkok. If you buy any book on art in Asian contemporary art, you must start with this one. Transcripts, interviews from artists and arts professionals from Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Indonesia, Japan, China, Amersterdam, Paris, Burma, Hong Kong, England, Iceland, Sweden, Singapore, United States, and Australia. That a DVD comes with the book is icing!

Information
+ Fly With Me To Another World Project
+ Project304
+ Saigon Open City