Why Spirits?
Pansak Vinyaratn, the founder of TCDC went on a trip to Chiang Mai two years ago and heard stories about different kinds of ghosts. Each story had its own intriguing origins, which were all based upon the locals’ beliefs and fears. He passed the idea on to our team and together we helped expand and develop it.

How did you put it all together?
The brainstorming and the research began around the middle of 2009. It wasn’t until the end of the year that we really got the ball rolling. We had to
go on a couple of field trips to places like Chiang Mai and Loei to see some of the festivals like Phi Ta Khon. In the end, we decided to divide the exhibition into two parts. The first part deals with the history of fear and how we as human beings live with it; the second talks about how people make a profit from this fear and how it influences the entertainment industry.

What were some of the challenges you faced?
Since the exhibition focuses on the sensitive subject matter of beliefs, we had to be really careful about how we’d approach and present it. We even went to the Mae Nak shrine to get permission from her spirit. Time wasn’t on our side either, it took us quite a while to acquire all the exhibits as the majority had to be borrowed from collectors and organizations. I had to get used to working on the exhibition alone at night as well.

A lot of people say this exhibition is scary, is that how you intended it?
We didn’t start out with that pre-requisite. However, when we told people that we were going to do an exhibition on ghosts, they all automatically expected it to be spooky. Subsequently, we did try to incorporate some scary elements to it, but at the same time, balance it out with useful informa- tion. Ultimately, an exhibition should provide the viewers with a valuable learning experience.

Why do you think this exhibition has received a lot of positive feedback?
We all love ghost stories. It’s such a universal subject that people of all genders and ages are curi- ous about. This exhibition isn’t designed to scare you. The voice-activated dark room at the entrance serves the purpose of luring people in, and to remind them that, at the end of the day, fears are merely fragments of their imagination.

What’s next for you?
Our next exhibition will focus on street culture, and it should be ready sometime next year. But be- fore then, we might extend this exhibition to January and organize some related talks and work- shops as well.

Catch Assistant curator Nunnaree Panichkul with her Spirits at TCDC