“Some Part of Me Lived Here Before” by Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya is on view at Materials for the Arts.
Photo courtesy of Erin Baiano.
Dec. 18, 2024 By Shane O’Brien
An exhibition by celebrated artist Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya exploring objects and their connection to human existence will remain on display at Material for the Arts in Long Island City until next month.
Phingbodhipakkiya’s new solo exhibition, “Some Part of Me Lived Here,” opened on Oct. 17 at Material for the Arts Gallery, an exhibition space run by the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs at 33-00 Northern Blvd. It will remain on display until Jan. 10.
Phingbodhipakkiya, a Material for the Arts artist-in-residence, makes use of suspended sculptures and collections of everyday items to explore the lifespan of objects and their intrinsic connections to human existence in her new solo exhibition.
The exhibition features materials gathered from various sources, including discarded items from the Material for the Arts (MFTA) warehouse and distinct materials from Phingbodhipakkiya’s ancestral Thailand, such as metal bottle caps, empty oil tins, and discarded fish traps.
Phingbodhipakkiya, who created the citywide “I Still Believe in Our City” campaign during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, which was featured on the cover of TIME Magazine, launched the new exhibition shortly after traveling to her father’s hometown in Thailand.
She began her residency at MFTA while ruminating on a single Thai word: “puuk pan,” which means “bind or entwine.”
The exhibition explores that word both figuratively and literally, weaving together time and its narratives, heritage, and materials to explore the history of the sculptures as they’re suspended in time at MFTA’s gallery.
Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya in the MFTA artist studio. Photo courtesy of Victoria Romulo
Phingbodhipakkiya said the exhibition centers on finding the “sublime in the mundane” and uplifting often overlooked objects, people, and places.
“I’m intent on cultivating a space where we can consider the threads of kinship that bind us to our people as we piece together fragmented histories and echoes of places and memories buried deep in the web of our souls,” Phingbodhipakkiya said in a statement.
MFTA Executive Director Tara Sansone first encountered Phingbodipakkiya’s work in 2021 when she was Public Artist in Residence with the New York City Commission on Human Rights, and she has keenly followed it ever since.
“What I find so compelling about Amanda’s art is the dynamic nature of her practice,” Sansone said.
“Whether it’s art campaigns pictured across Times Square, gargantuan textiles draped across several floors, or public art installations that turn spectators into participants, Amanda’s art transcends boundaries and, in turn, touches everyone who bears witness to it.”
NYC Department of Cultural Affairs Commissioner Laurie Cumbo said the exhibition’s use of personal relics and shared histories invites people to reflect on their own journeys and the items that bind them to their own communities.
“Her work compels us to look inward, encouraging a deeper understanding of ourselves as we navigate the complexities of identity and connection. It is a powerful reminder of the beauty inherent in our collective experiences and the narratives that shape our lives,” Cumbo said.
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