The Spaceship of Nabua
Conceived by Apichatpong Weerasethakul and re-exhibited by Thai Film Archive, 'The Spaceship of Nabua' is a set of installation pieces inspired by the history of Thailand's Northeast during the Cold War era.
The Spaceship of Nabua (2021-01-18) by Thai Film Archive and Apichatpong WeerasthakulThai Film Archive
Into the Primitive Realm
Around 2010, artist-filmmaker Apichatpong Weerasethakul conceived a multi-platform art project called Primitive, which consisted of a feature film, several short films and installation pieces.
The project is rooted in Apichatpong's memory of Thailand's Northeast and its troubled, sometimes violent past regarding the repression of communist insurgents during the Cold War years. The epicentre of the project is Nabua, a small village in Nakhon Phanom province.
Apichatpong travelled to the village of Nabua, where he drew on grassroots wisdom and worked with the villagers to construct a "spaceship", an oval-shaped, hollowed-out wooden structure with a small portal.
'The Spaceship of Nabua', at once primitive and hypermodern, is a sanctuary from the brutal history and a time-travelling pod towards a new plane of consciousness. The spaceship is featured in his short film and several photographs.
The Exhibition
In the mid-2010s, the artist donated 'The Spaceship of Nabua' to the Thai Film Archive, along with several objects from the Primitive exhibition and from the film Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives, the Palme d'Or winner which is a part of the project.
The Wall
The floor-to-ceiling wall of the exhibition features photographs and details of the spaceship, its initial sketches, the artistic imagination that went into its construction, and a brief history of Nabua village and its importance in Thai history.
The exhibition wall, left, shows a concept drawing from the film Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives. The installation of the spaceship (right) makes it appear as if floating above the steps in a large hall.
The Monkey Ghost in the Spaceship (2021-01-18) by Thai Film Archive and Apichatpong WeerasethakulThai Film Archive
The Monkey Ghost and Uncle Boonmee
Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives is probably the best-known element in the Primitive project. The film, like 'The Spaceship of Nabua', is drawn from the memory of the Northeast and the widespread paranoia of Communism.
The film features the Monkey Ghost, a hairy, red-eyed, soft-spoken being who returns from the jungle to visit his dying father, Boonmee.
In the exhibition at Thai Film Archive, our curators put the Monkey Ghost inside the spaceship, two elements from the Primitive universe born from Northeastern history and folktales.
The Litter from Uncle Boonmee (2021-01-18) by Thai Film Archive and Apichatpong WeerasethakulThai Film Archive
The Litter from 'Uncle Boonmee'
The litter is seen in the film 'Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives', and is now displayed alongside the Spaceship of Nabua.
The Making of the Spaceship
Apichatpong worked with the villagers of Nabua to construct the spaceship from curved metal frames and strips of wood, a combination of grassroots technique and architectural innovation.
Prototype of the Spaceship (2021-01-20) by Thai Film Archive and Nabua villagersThai Film Archive
The Prototypes
Early sketches of the spaceship by the villagers and Apichatpong, at once childlike and something out of a science-fiction movie.
The Making of the Spaceship 2 (2021-01-20) by Thai Film archiveThai Film Archive
Craftsmen at Work
'The Spaceship of Nabua' is rooted in local construction wisdom in harmony with the artist's avant-garde vision.
'The Spaceship of Nabua' was left at the village after the Primitive projected had ended. It sat, serene and plump, in the field and was soon taken over by weeds and vines, assuming a rather primitive appearance. In 2012, the staff of Thai Film Archive asked the artist for permission to restore the object and exhibit it.
The Spaceship of Nabua in the wild (2021-01-21) by Thai Film ArchiveThai Film Archive
The Restoration
Left to the mercy of vines and creepers, 'The Spaceship of Nabua' was restored by the staff of Thai Film Archive and the villagers.
The Restoration of The Spaceship of Nabua (2021-01-20) by Thai Film ArchiveThai Film Archive
The staff of Thai Film Archive inspected the damaged spaceship before commencing a restoration project. The restored, shiny and radiant 'The Spaceship of Nabua' is now on display at Thai Film Archive.
Restoring The Spaceship of Nabua (2021-01-21) by Thai Film ArchiveThai Film Archive
The Spaceship of Nabua and the steps (2021-01-18) by Thai Film Archive and Apichatpong WeerasethakulThai Film Archive
'The Spaceship of Nabua', 3rd floor, Thai Film Archive
With permission from the artist, the Thai Film Archive exhibits 'The Spaceship of Nabua' on the top of the steps on the 3rd floor of our Sanbhasatra Building, in Salaya.
Tap to explore
Explore 'The Spaceship of Nabua' and its surroundings through Google Streetview.
The curators of Thai Film Archive, with materials courtesy of Apichatpong Weerasethakul.
