Exploring spirituality
The next event in the Italian Festival kicks off on Tuesday with the opening of photography exhibition “Spirituality in Southeast Asia” at the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre.
It features a selection of the most intimate and evocative images from the collection featured in Andrea Pistolesi’s book of the same name, which is dedicated to the diversity and intensity of the religious experiences in this part of the world. These include depictions of nats spirits worship in Myanmar (known by other names in all of the other countries) and the sak yant tattoo scene in Thailand, all falling under the embracing umbrella of the Theravada Buddhist spirituality.
The images depict a varied yet homogeneous cultural reality of a region that, even in a fast modernising era is still profoundly connected to its ancestral history. The photos capture not only deeply intense moments of prayer and worship, but also temples, architecture and the environment that contribute to creating this unique experience.
Pistolesi has been publishing photographic essays on Asia for the past 40 years. During this time, he has lived in Thailand for long periods, ensuring a detached, yet insider’s view.
His style of composition, strongly influenced by his Florentine origins, is combined with his very personal rendering of natural light. One of the pioneers of digital photography, he uses colour as one of his most personal traits. He is an enthusiastic supporter of digital fine art printing and has exhibited both in Italy and abroad.
The exhibition, which honours the memory of HM the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej, runs through October 15.
Find out more at Facebook.com/ItalianFestivalThailand.
