Araya Rasdjarmrearnsook

'Tensta Art Gallery, Stockholm, 30 August-26 October 2003.

Tensta Art Gallery is situated in one of the most segregated suburbs of Stockholm. The gallery is recognised as one of the most important in Sweden. Currently showing are film installations by the Thai artist, Araya Rasdjarmrearnsook.

Rasdjarmrearnsook is one of very few Thai woman artists making art in an international context. Her work concentrates on sexual discrimination and the marginal identity.

Born in Trad in 1957, Rasdjarmrearnsook has been shown widely throughout the 1990s, including at a number of major international exhibitions such as the Asia-Pacific Triennial 1993, the Johannesburg Biennale 1995, the Sydney Biennale 1996 and the Istanbul Biennale 2003.

'Lament' is Rasdjarmrearnsook's first solo exhibition in Sweden. It deals with death and ways of relating to death and sorrow.

At the entrance of the hall, a photo of Anna Lindh is standing, the murdered Swedish Minister of Foreign Affairs. The atmosphere in Sweden has, in the last couple of weeks, been strongly coloured by sorrow and the questions raised by the murder. The mood only serves to make this thought-provoking exhibition more poignant than ever.

Five pieces of work are shown. The two films, 'A walk' and 'Thai Medley' are projected on big triple screens. In the first, the artist, dressed in black, walks silently in the landscape of a clinical and anonymous morgue while in the second, the artist sings for the non-living and reads for them the inaow poem, a traditional text from the 18th century. The story tells about love, meetings and separations. This action has no traditional roots but is Rasdjarmrearnsook's own idea.

'I'm living', 'Sudsiri' and 'Araya', are three pieces of work shown on monitors. In each film the artist dresses a female corpse.

Rasdjarmernsook's way of dealing with death and sorrow is light, beautiful and dignified. She treats the departed as a close friend, caring and making them ready for the last journey. The individual's encounter with death and living becomes almost physical, for the spectator as well. It is deeply touching to experience Rasdjarmrearnsook's work.