Follow Up: Suchart Wannaset

Within his artistic practice Suchart Wannaset explores the multi-faceted relationship between culture and nature. The shaping of natural landscapes by humans has far-reaching consequences regarding the relationship to each other as well as changes and preservation. The search for nature and so-called ‘border zones’ is an essential part of Wannaset’s artistic work. His works address social, cultural, queer and ecological phenomena, the concepts of which he implements transmedially with the help of video, sculpture, performance and photography.

During his AIL residency, Suchart Wannaset continued developing his art project Pressure, which sits at the intersection of art and science. Combining kinetic sculptures, video, and sound works, Pressure artistically explores and contributes to the little-known research on the effects of noise on insects – highlighting the harmful effects of noise and light pollution, along with habitat loss caused by suburban expansion in Vienna. In the video, the artist searches for the pure insect sounds of his childhood, only to find that much has changed. His kinetic sculptures – anthropomorphic insects – add a heavy, imposing presence, symbolizing the exhaustion imposed on these creatures and their environment by human activity. A sound database, compiled during his field recordings, documents the seemingly endless search for undisturbed natural sounds.

Dear Suchart, tell us briefly what you have been working on during your residency at AIL?

I was working on an interactive experience for a future exhibition. Visitors can scan a QR code and play sounds I recorded from the outskirts of Vienna. They can then click through my web database while walking through the exhibition with their smartphone. This adds sounds to the existing soundscape. This idea is that when we are somewhere, we leave a trace of our presence. This adds to the overall noise of that place, and makes it feel as though we are intruders there.

To create the soundscape, I was trying out the recordings and trying to use them as background noise for the exhibition.

I put all the big moth sculptures on display for the first time. I also tried out the flickering LED-Neon light in the space, which makes it more dramatic. I added the finishing touches to the textile, sewing and stitching. I can see everything that is displayed and the video that is shown at the back. This helps me to see what is missing and what I should work on or finish. The final step was taking photos and videos of the works for use later.

By combining sculpture, sound and interactive elements, your project shows how sensitive ecosystems are to change and how quickly biodiversity and natural soundscapes can be lost. In your video, you go in search of the insect sounds of your childhood, which have changed since then.

How does this personal experience shape your artistic work and your view of the relationship between memory, loss and artistic documentation?

The act of searching for the lost became an integral aspect of the artistic practice. The foundation for this artistic research was laid prior to graduation from the Angewandte Transmediale (Brigitte Kowanz) with a one-hour, three-channel video work filmed in Thailand in 2020. The title of this work is Chasing Nature into Abstraction, and it deals with the search for nature and the changing of habitats and landscapes.

The experience of being raised in Thailand at my grandparents' house, which was surrounded by lotus-filled wetlands that have since disappeared, has had a profound impact on my personal development and artistic practices.

Were there any encounters or aha experiences that inspired you during your residency? Can you briefly describe them?

Yes, this project isn't finished. The aha effect is that I can walk around every part of Vienna to make a sound database, which could be a big project in itself. The other option is to use the recordings to make new pieces of music that can also be shown as artwork on their own. People who visit my studio gave me a list of books to read and to learn more about insects and nature.

How is the project progressing now?

I added some recordings and updated some audio files to make the sound database on my website bigger. I am going to build boxes to transport the sculptures in my studio. I started cutting a video from the documentation and editing the pictures taken in the AIL studio. I did this to prepare for Open Calls and exhibition applications, as well as for my portfolio and website.

What has changed over the course of the residency, what process has been influenced?

The flickering light and the way the sound was changed added to the experience. During the residency, Nora [Mayr] introduced me to some people, including experts in the field where art and science meet. I got some ideas from the talks. It was good for my idea and I got ideas for some new artworks in the future. I found the answers to some of my questions.

One final question: What does interdisciplinary work mean to you? What significance does it have for your work?

The subjects of intersection, interdisciplinarity and the interface between art, nature and science have always been of interest to me. It is not possible to express something in one medium alone, as certain topics are very complex and can only be shown in many layers. This can be achieved through art disciplines, techniques or genres. In the context of my professional practice, the progression of one subject matter frequently gives rise to the emergence of another, thereby facilitating the exploration of diverse intellectual domains. The concept may be illustrated by means of a metaphor: that of a web which connects many dots, the benefit of which is mutual.