Apichatpong Weerasethakul’s “Fireworks (Archives)”

Fireworks (Archives), 2014, is the first of a series of works by internationally renowned filmmaker and visual artist Apichatpong Weerasethakul (b.: 1970) to treat the politics of Thailand through the use of pyrotechnics. In this single-channel video installation that the artist’s website describes as a “hallucinatory memory machine,” the flickering light of fireworks and the sudden flash of a digital camera illuminate unconventional animal sculptures at a temple in Northeast Thailand. 

For the Museum’s presentation of this major new acquisition to its permanent collection, the video is projected onto two hanging panes of glass, and is enhanced by surround sound. The light from the projectors spills unto the floor and walls, competing for the viewer’s attention and creating a truly immersive experience. ​

Credit: Exhibition overview from museum website