The Soi Project creates a virtual Thai island in the UK, with simulated day and night and full-moon parties.

The Soi Project, a group of Thai and Japanese artists, has brought Thailand’s Ravi Island in Satun province—complete with its popular full-moon party and tropical fruits—to Birmingham in the United Kingdom.

On May 27, the interactive installation ‘Soi Project: Island’ launched Ikon Gallery’s new art space, on Fazeley Street in Birmingham’s Eastside area.

More than 300 gallery-goers enjoyed creating their own paradise by sticking fluorescent stickers depicting buildings, beach umbrellas, trees and animals onto the installation. Viewers walked over the ‘sea’ to get to the three-dimensional island, which was assembled using a composite of satellite images drawn from Google Earth.

The room shifted back and forth between pitch black, indicating night, and the brilliance of daylight. An artificial moon set the rhythm, rising then setting in a 24-minute cycle to mimic the 24 hours in a day. Once the moon disappeared, simulated light ‘dawned’ to mark the start of a new day.

According to Soi co-founder Wit Pimkarnjanapong, “the idea for the island came from the romantic notions that outsiders have of England and Thailand. While the UK is known as a great island nation, Thailand’s islands are popular around the globe.”

Wit founded Soi with fellow Thai Jutipong Chaowakul and Bangkok-based Japanese Jiro Endo.

Visually, the exhibition resembles a theatre, albeit one where audiences can play beneath the light of the full moon. They can also play with different interpretations of the work: Is Britain a neo-colonialist country that wants control over more ‘islands’? Is a drug-fuelled ‘full moon’ party the only image of Thailand that tourists have?

Whatever the interpretation, stickers on the ‘islands’ delivered various messages with themes that ran from environmental issues and political topics to personal desires of owning a dream island.

After hours of climbing, lying on the ‘island’ and ‘moon bathing’, it was time for a fun full moon party.

Filing out through the gallery’s back door and past the tiny soi (alley), in a few minutes partygoers found themselves at a night-long party in a loftcum-nightclub. The fusion of Thai with English-style good vibes took the form of DJs playing British reggae, cold Singha beer, Thai tunes by Jiro and beach sand beneath our feet.

Once back at the gallery, Soi offered tropical fruits to the British crowd. The fruit stalls were set up in front of the gallery and instead of giving the fruits to the audience for free, the organisers invited them to make paper fruits to exchange with the real ones from Thailand.

Soi also had fruit stalls on the High Street in Erdington—a Birmingham suburb—outside the gallery. Hundreds of excited visitors and passers-by made paper fruits for the cultural exchange.

“I like the way they—Soi—engage the audience and emphasise fun, comfort and good things. It was almost like an antidote to the problems they know exist in the world.

Their practice, combining technology and craftsmanship, is also interesting,” Ikon’s director Jonathan Watkins said.

Soi Project: Island is on at Ikon Eastside in Birmingham until June 22. For more information, visit www.Ikon-Gallery.co.uk or www.flickr.com/photos/theerada/sets

Art at a glance

+ Soi Project is a group of artists, architects, musicians and designers engaging audiences in interactive and social situations.
+ Before the Soi Project, three Thai artists had shown work at Ikon:
2000: Navin Rawanchaikul showcased his ‘Shakespeare in a Taxi’ at Ikon’s ‘Taxi’ Gallery and around Birmingham.
2003: Rirkrit Tiravanija’s interactive installation ‘Demo Station No 4’ was displayed at Ikon.
2006: Surasi Kusolwong showed his interactive installation ‘Surasi Kusolwong: Bangmingham (Come as you are)’ at Ikon Eastside. (By PHATARAWADEE PHATARANAWIK In Birmingham/ The Nation/ AsiaNews)