Junk

(Nighttime) “Junk” is an innovative 3D mixed-media kinetic sculpture with spaces allowing for the participation of the community. The artwork is inspired by the philosophy of overseas Chinese who migrated to Thailand, possessing only a pillow and a reed mat but eventually succeeding and prospering. Their way of life, culture, and concepts based on their belief in auspiciousness is shown through the artwork, which is made of recyclable materials that are friendly to nature and the environment, and and respectful of all kinds of life.
The structure of the artwork consists of strong and durable iron bars formed into the shape of a boat, capable of bearing weight of up to 120 kg. Wire ties are used for fastening instead of nails. The artwork is assembled at the site with open space inside where people can sit or lie down. Light and water systems may be added later.
The surface of the artwork is painted red, the color of fortune according to the belief of Chinese-Thai people. Its junk form is inspired by the Chinese vessels of the past and decorated with Thai writing. The inner space is made of wooden planks coated with wood stain for weathering resistance tied together with wire after the manner of Chinese bamboo scrolls and similar to a reed mat. On the mat and around the artwork are pictures of nine auspicious things bestowing happiness and prosperity to people who sit there. The pictures are created with the participation of people in the Samyan community and installed with augmented reality (AR) code, which is a combination of virtual reality techniques with physical surroundings to virtually relate stories of people in the community to visitors. A pillow is also presented in the artwork, inspired by the Chinese wooden pillow. LED strips are attached to the side of the artwork to illuiminate it during the night.
A coin-operated machine is also installed on the artwork with a loudspeaker in the form of a black-colored eye to narrate short stories about the struggles and efforts of people in the community, read by children in the community’s schools. The coins obtained by the machine are used to buy textbooks for the children. The stories told are collected from tales and legends in the community, brought to be part of the artwork and expected to be good examples for the children.