Date: 2-3 November 2024
Location: Thai Village, Hoa Binh, Vietnam
"Xim-berng" in Isaan (Thailand) means let’s try and taste it!
"Xin Mời" in Vietnamese also means please come and you are invited!
Past event days at Thai Village in Hoa Binh! By Awika and Neoy. We greeted the community with delicious homemade Thai dishes crafted with ingredients found in Hoa Binh, Vietnam. Celebrating the bond between Thais and Vietnamese.
On 2nd November:
Xim Berng Xin Mời - a collaborative food project with a local Somtum shop (P’Wun) in the market. By creating the fusion menu of Kaow Jee (grilled sticky rice) with Plara powder (transforming homemade Plara from her sister in Nakhon Phanom)
On 3rd November:
Xim Berng Xin Mời - a collaborative food project with a local Somtum shop (P’Anh): we then came up with the not-too-spicy dish > Jim Jaew grilled marinated pork to pair with Somtam Plara.
"A Conversation Between Thailand and Vietnam"
The Collective Painting
collective painting, questionnaire workshops, paper, crayon on wall, 2024, ba-bau AIR, Hoa Binh, Vietnam
This work was also selected by Heritage Art Space (VT) to be part of 'MAP 2024 Open Studio – Going Places, Moving things'
exhibited at Long Biên Art Space, Hanoi, Vietnam
more details:
"A Conversation Between Thailand and Vietnam" captures the dialogues and shared experiences of the Thai Village community in Hòa Bình, Vietnam. Through conversations over meals and Parichat's observations of their food memories, the artwork reflects the deep connections rooted in a shared language and culture. It embraces multigenerational narratives—reflecting on their lives once rooted in Thailand, particularly in Isaan region. Elders recounted journeys by their long journeys back to their homeland, while younger generations spoke of their stories working in Thailand. These narratives reveal how traditions once lived in Thailand continue to shape daily life in Hòa Bình. Yet, as time passes, these collective memories gradually fade, making this piece a visual tribute to their enduring legacy.
These conversations inspired a visual dialogue, using a "post-pointillism" approach to translate their stories into rhythmic patterns. The resulting artwork invites the audience to explore and decode its layers, reimagining the shared heritage, migration, and resilience between Thailand and Vietnam.
AIRAsia (Artist-In-Residence Asia)
a cross-residency program of Green Papaya Art Projects
A collaboration between Green Papaya Art Project [PH]- Baan Noorg Collaborative Arts and Culture [TH] - Ba-bau Air [VN]
How to read the painting?
Spending time with the community revealed that they are unfamiliar with forms that lead to centralized or official documentation. Many residents were reluctant to share even basic information in written formats. Yet, they were often willing to recount their stories verbally, particularly those related to their relocation and experiences moving between Vietnam and Thailand.
In response, I transformed these collective, orally shared histories into a painting where viewers must decode a colour grid to access the villagers’ narratives.
Each colour represents an individual, not by name, but through fragments of general information and personal stories.
1. Step closer: The painting is composed of countless small marks, with each colour representing a fragment of conversation, gesture, or shared meal connected to one individual.
2. Use the grid form: Select a colour from the painting and locate the same colour within the grid.
3. Decode the questions: The top row lists the questions, while the side column lists the numbered answers. Fill in the question form with the corresponding colour to reveal each person’s responses.
Explores shared meals, gestures, and living memories in community as part of my ongoing artistic research.
Xin Mời Xim Berng:
collaborated food project
with local Somtum shops
Upon arriving in Hoa Binh, I discovered that while all the residents are Vietnamese, they still speak Thai, particularly with an Isaan accent (typical of Northeastern Thailand). Nearly everyone in this village shares a connection to Thailand, though each link varies by region and generation. From great-grandparents who migrated and then returned due to shifting political circumstances, to younger generations who have pursued work opportunities across Thailand, these histories tell of lives shaped by movement and resilience.
Initially, I explored this connection through recorded histories, but the stories shared by the people themselves – narratives that naturally fade over time - reveal another layer of this legacy.
Xim Berng Xin Mời! is particularly drawn to observing how memories endure and weave into everyday life, focusing on this through the lens of food and memory, examining the cultural landscape of ingredients found in local markets and how each one carries echoes of its ties to Thailand.
Alongside studying published research, it became clear that understanding the narratives of current residents, living histories never formally recorded, is essential. Becoming part of the village community through shared meals and conversations allowed these exchanges to unfold naturally. Villagers warmly welcomed me into their homes, shared personal archives, invited me to cook with them, and even welcomed me to a wedding ceremony at the local church.
This collaborative food project forms a vital part of my artistic research, which will later culminate in a finished artwork. It serves as a living dialogue, capturing not only the documented history but also the unrecorded, embodied memories that continue to shape this community’s connection to Thailand.
Here is the guideline document while gathering with the community.
