Welcome Anantaya Chanlertpaisal!

in-tangible institute welcomes Anantaya Chanlertpaisal (Ice) to the team as our newest Curatorial Fellow. In the coming year, Anantaya will contribute to the development and realization of in-tangible institute’s programs, connecting the Chiang Mai art community to a wider network of artists, curators, thinkers, and institutions through conversations and collaborations.

in-tangible’s Curatorial Fellowship is designed to help promising emerging curators learn the research, writing, and facilitation skills necessary for developing programs that nurture productive, critical, and innovative relationships in the interest of building a diverse interdisciplinary ecology for the arts.

What motivated you to apply for this Curatorial Fellowship with in-tangible institute?

Starting out as a young curator often feels like a struggle to build a career path outside of the capital city. Like many of my peers, I’ve often asked myself “Is it actually possible to stay in Chiang Mai and build a career as a curator?” The fellowship not only answers my question, it becomes a window of opportunity for me to move beyond my bubble and to stop cutting off possibilities. At this point in my life, I realize that what is important is to better understand my own practices, and articulate vision, which I believe is essential for a young curator. 

What do you believe is the key role of a curator in the arts? How would you give a summary of our responsibilities as curators?

I see the curator’s role as a community builder. What curators need to consider is how to blur the boundaries of artistic languages, creating a dialogue that encourages reflection, critique, and imagination of the artist’s context in relation to society and where we live. Therefore, a key responsibility of the curator is to initiate questions with artists that can lead to broader conversations with communities. 

As someone from Chiang Mai, who is committed to this city, what excites and concerns you about our local artistic community?

Chiang Mai is a city that has produced many artists and art crews across many disciplines and also possesses a rich history of collectives and communities such as theatre groups, cinephiles, musicians, activists who continue to actively share resources and support of one another through a strong spirit of community. 

However, sustaining a full-time passion as an artist or curator remains a major challenge as most funding is not distributed to those working in Chiang Mai. Another concern is the lack of key cultural practitioners, such as curators, writers, and critics, who can help foster and sustain spaces for critical discourse—through writing, critique, and in-depth discussion. Over the long term, the lack of supportive environments for dialogue and criticism raises concerns about the sustainability of the art ecosystem, particularly in relation to our collective ability to reflect, learn, and better understand the shared challenges faced by the community.

What do you hope to take away from your time as our Curatorial Fellow?

Through my time as a Curatorial Fellow, I hope to deepen my understanding of curatorial methods and practices, particularly in research and community oriented approaches. I want to strengthen essential curatorial skills, such as writing and the necessity to interpret what I experience, while learning how to work collaboratively with artists and supporters. Most importantly, I hope this experience will help me clarify my curatorial vision and develop a more sustainable path for my practice.

I believe that the in-tangible Fellowship will not only provide guidance for my development as a curator, but also offer a chance to connect with new friends within the artistic community in Chiang Mai, across Southeast Asia, and beyond!