Standard Hotels now host Spanish designer Jaime Hayon's fantastical art show "Shadow Theatre", where visitors can indulge themselves in a larger-than-life theatrical landscape with his vibrant design and creativity.
Inspired by Thailand's traditional style of shadow puppetry nang talung, Hayon illustrates his unique, intriguing vision of a circus fantasy by transforming his old collection of paintings done throughout the years into flattering silhouettes of imaginary characters in lacquered wood.
Through his contemporary interpretation of Thai folklore and tradition, these fantastic hybrid creatures feature wild animals and humans in three-dimensional form with a mix of solid, simplistic yet mesmerising shapes. They were installed to overlap each other in certain points, creating "a sort of character mass that dances in the room", he said.
"There are different types of shadow theatres, traditional for various countries. The Thai tradition is beautiful and rich. With the installation, I wanted to create a unique experience, using shapes and forms from my personal cosmography and accompanying the light with suggestive music to create an immersive experience. The installation can be viewed 360-degrees and each position will invite discovery of new shapes. The music changes and with each rhythm, the light dances along," he added.
"Shadow Theatre" is a fantasy world of puppet art where viewers become captivated by a sense of playfulness and simplicity for a brief moment. Hayon's surrealist-inspired art pieces play with shapes, colours, volume and light to show how a combination of light and darkness could take his audience on an amazing journey of the imagination.
The Standard also curated the background music and the stage lighting, adding more calming scents to the exhibition room. Guests can experience the cosier vibe.
The artist pointed out that this "was an opportunity to enrich it with the musical collaboration". In fact, the imaginative exhibition is a taste of what is to come at Mahanakhon, in the world of "The Standard x Jaime Hayon". The Standard selected the Spanish artist for the interior design of its Asia flagship hotel in Bangkok's iconic Mahanakhon, which is slated to open this year.
Hayon's first artistic vision was fully exposed in the "Mediterranean Digital Baroque" and "Mon Cirque" projects. These collections put him at the forefront of a new wave that blurred the lines between decoration and design. His artwork also drove a renaissance in finely-crafted, intricate objects within the context of contemporary design culture.
Later, the hotel designer established his Hayon Studio in Italy, Spain and Japan. Still, he continues to explore new, expressive artforms while maintaining a deep respect for artisan skills, finely crafted detail and a passion for play.
The Standard Bangkok Design Week is running until Sunday, from 11am to 9pm at the Chai Phatthanasilp Building, Charoen Krung Road. Visit standardhotels.com for further information.
