Exploring anthropocentrism and virtual reality in ‘PASSCODE , THE DARK DAY’
By Chanida Voraphitak, with Sharrona Valezka

‘A Day in the Life’ is a series by A&M where we invite artists to share a day in their life through images accompanied by brief descriptions.

Chanida Voraphitak is a Bangkok-based artist whose body of work centres around the concept of anthropocentrism. Her practice is deeply rooted in her fascination with children's storybooks. She reimagines them into different mediums, namely paintings, moving images, garments, and virtual-reality artworks.

In this ‘A Day in the Life’ feature, Chanida introduces her solo exhibition, ‘PASSCODE , THE DARK DAY’, and her working process. The show is ongoing from 18 May to 29 June at BANGKOK CITYCITY GALLERY.

Chanida in front of her artwork, 'The Seekers' (2024). Photo by Akkarawin Krairiksh. Image courtesy of the artist and BANGKOK CITYCITY GALLERY.

Squirrels use electrical wires to find food. Bees cannot fly far to find natural nectar. It may use other dangerous substances instead. The number of butterflies is decreasing. Birds fly less and learn to walk. It makes a living on the floors of normal walking streets. Millipedes and earthworms are also covered with cement. Some are under artificial grass and artificial sunlight.

‘PASSCODE , THE DARK DAY’ begins with a story inspired by my observations, from small changes around my house to the central city I live in. This exhibition is a constellation of paintings, digital prints on fabric, sculpture, installation, and virtual reality (VR) pieces that offer a visceral adventure through a world bristling with technological excess.

Inspecting and trying the VR chairs. Photo by Akkarawin Krairiksh. Image courtesy of the artist and BANGKOK CITYCITY GALLERY. — Chanida with her VR seats called 'Cocoon' (2024). Photo by Akkarawin Krairiksh. Image courtesy of the artist and BANGKOK CITYCITY GALLERY.

The day before the exhibition started, I inspected and tested the VR experience titled 'PASSCODE , THE DARK DAY' several times to ensure everything went smoothly. This is the first time I have created a long version of VR, totaling 12 minutes. These three custom seats, which are part of the VR installation, are called 'Cocoon.' Visitors are welcome to sit and experience the journey that will take them down to the hollow earth.

For the exhibition, I crafted a vest from recycled fabric made from plastic drinking bottles. The design process goes hand in hand with the painting and the VR artwork. The vest will be sold during the exhibition with BOOKSHOP LIBRARY, a curated bookshop and library in BANGKOK CITYCITY GALLERY.

A reading corner in the studio. Photo by Akkarawin Krairiksh. Image courtesy of the artist and BANGKOK CITYCITY GALLERY.

In my studio, I also have my personal project that I worked on with my husband, 'Liquid Metal'. It functioned as a reading corner, selected souvenirs, a coffee shop, as well as a space for live music. Every day, I like to find ideas from old storybooks and discuss them with my son.

Working on the VR artwork for the exhibition. Photo by Akkarawin Krairiksh. Image courtesy of the artist and BANGKOK CITYCITY GALLERY.

I have been working and collaborating with other practitioners such as a production designer for the vest that I mentioned above and even a VR game which I worked on alongside Voranat Voraphitak, my husband who designed the sets and characters. I developed the VR aspect in parallel with other artwork pieces for the show. When we are working in the studio, we have a mainecoon cat named Bobo who often accompanies us. He does not like people.

Follow Chanida Voraphitak on Instagram here to see more of her works.

Read all A Day in the Life stories here.

All images are courtesy of the artist and BANGKOK CITYCITY GALLERY.

About the Artist

Chanida Voraphitak's artistic journey is rooted in a childhood captivated by storytelling. Her early fascination with children's storybooks and manga cultivated an appreciation for character development and the illustrations that breathes life into fictional realms. Her work often reimagines anthropomorphic animals within the framework of contemporary narratives. She embodies the beliefs and truths of their unique universes but also reflects her own exploration of diverse existential themes.