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On 8 November 2007, Editions Didier Millet will launch ‘Thailand: 9 Days in the Kingdom’, a multimedia event marking the 80th birthday of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej on 5 December.
The event showcases the work of 55 of the world’s leading photographers, including 11 from Thailand, who took part in a dramatic photo shoot throughout Thailand over a nine-day period in January 2007. Captured in unforgettable images are myriad different facets of Thailand: its peoples, traditions, landscapes and cityscapes, commerce and industry.
The event will have three parts:
- the launch of a large-format pictorial book;
- a major, multimedia exhibition of photographs taken during the shoot, to be held at ZEN Event Gallery, 8th Floor of ZEN@CentralWorld;
- and the release of two documentary films on the project produced by MCOT (Thailand) and NGM Production (Paris)
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The centrepiece is the book Thailand: 9 Days in the Kingdom. This spectacular 304-page, large-format (352 mm x 280 mm, portrait), coffee-table book is a portrait of Thailand today. It leads readers on a photographic journey through the country, showing many aspects of the nation’s life — cultural, social, economic, religious and natural. It includes a series of short, vivid photo-essays by six of these star photographers on various themes:
- reverence for the King (Anuchai Secharunputong, Thailand)
- the ongoing events in the south (Abbas, France; Charoon Thongnual, Thailand)
- Thai boxing (Greg Gorman, USA)
- the harvesting of birds’ nests (Éric Valli, France)
- the care and treatment of AIDS patients by a Catholic priest
(James Nachtwey, USA)
- and the country’s colourful cabaret scene (Greg Gorman, USA)
A seventh ‘photo-essay’ is represented by stunning aerial views of Thailand taken by renowned photographer Yann Arthus-Bertrand. His photographs feature throughout the book.
At the beginning of the book, the scene is set in an introduction by the distinguished writer on Thai culture and history and long-term Bangkok resident, William Warren. His many books include The Legendary American, The House on the Klong and Thai Style. Captions and additional text are by Nicholas Grossman, a Bangkok-based journalist who has worked with Let’s Go Publications, Bangkok Post and Thai Day.
Thailand: 9 Days in the Kingdom is a colourful and creative record of Thailand as it is today. It will be sold widely both in Thailand and internationally (USA, Europe and Australia). Editions of the book will be published in English and French.
The book will be launched at ZEN Event Gallery (Level 8) at ZEN @ CentralWorld on 8 November 2007 by Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Siridhorn, with a massive multimedia photography exhibition featuring over 400 images from the 9 Days shoot, both published and unpublished. The First Annual Bangkok Art & Photography Event 2007 by ZEN, sponsored by ZEN Department Store and organised by leading event presenter Ovation, will be one of the largest and state-of-the-art photography exhibitions Thailand has ever seen.
Visitors will be led through nine thematic halls which use different methods to display the images — projection, light boxes, single and double stands, television screens and normal stands, among others. Each room will provide visitors with a different experience based on nine different themes, including ‘A Tribute to the King’, ‘This is Thailand’ and ‘City of Angels’. The work of Greg Gorman, Chien-Chi Chang and James Nachtwey will be presented in special showcases. Canon Marketing (Thailand) Co. Ltd will handle all the printing needs of the exhibition.
Held over 2,500 square metres, the exhibition will run from 8 to 25 November 2007.
Thailand: 9 Days in the Kingdom will be on sale from November 2007 at the exhibition and major bookstores — AsiaBooks, B2S, Kinokuniya — at a cost of Baht 1,750.
Web site: www.9days-inthekingdom.com
Source: Thailand: 9 Days in the Kingdom release dated 5 November 2007 |
