(2025)
Becoming part of a place, even for a certain period of time, always renders us outsiders. We are never truly part of it—only observers, users, or passersby. We may engage with the place through experience, but we can never permanently anchor ourselves to it.
The word belong in English, when translated literally, suggests ownership or being a part of something. By its nature, the word carries a sense of possession—both tangible and intangible. However, when used in the phrase belong to nowhere, its meaning becomes difficult to translate directly into Thai. It no longer implies possession, but rather evokes a state of disconnection, of having no clear place to stand. It may also refer to being suspended in an undefined relationship between the world and the self.
This is not a search for an origin to return to or hold onto, but rather a search for a space, a moment, or a memory that feels like our own—a space we have created for ourselves within a place that is unfamiliar and not inherently connected to us.
As time goes by, we may find ourselves outsiders even in places we once called home—or even within our own minds. It is a tension between the search for a place we can call our own and the acceptance that there may be no such place that truly belongs to us. This reflects the human condition in today’s ever-changing world. In this sense, belong to nowhere is not about loss or the absence of identity, but rather an acceptance of impermanence—a release from the frameworks of ownership, whether of space, time, or even the self.
And through the repeated transitions and relocations, Prang continually encounters things that are both familiar and unfamiliar, expected and unexpected in each place and period of time.
In the exhibition A Part, Apart reflects this very process. It was conceived and presented in Khon Kaen, in the northeastern region of Thailand—a place with which the artist has no direct ties. From the outset, the artist has seen herself as an outsider. It is a place that feels somehow familiar, yet remains unknown; seemingly recognizable, yet never truly experienced. This work becomes a record—a way to remember and learn from what was encountered along this journey, from the cold to the heat, then to the intense heat and rain (January to August 2025).The exhibition presents local materials, especially edible plants, and methods of preservation—techniques for extending the life of these ingredients, influenced by time and season. A slight misstep in timing can change everything, making the process unpredictable. Yet it is often in those very moments of change that new discoveries emerge. Prang’s current interest lies in food culture and seasonal ingredients—ephemeral by nature, yet sometimes she finds herself wishing that their season might last just a little longer.
In the end, we may not be the owners of anything at all. We are merely those who pass through—gathering memories, learning from what we encounter—before moving on to a new place, or into a new moment in life, just like the passing of seasons.
As a part of A Part, Apart ซำได๋ ซั๋มนึง
Group exhibition curated by Pimpakaporn Pornpeng
Exhibition is organized with the support of the Office of Contemporary Art and Culture, Thailand Ministry of Culture, the Faculty of Fine and Applied Arts Khon Kaen University, Jim Thompson Farm, MAIELIE Khon Kaen, Alien Art Space and Ready For The Weekend Cafe
Part 1 (Fresh)
Part 2 (Preserved)
