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Museum of The Swamp of Eels

The Swamp of Eels is the name of a rural area located in the
eastern part of The Country. Due to The Country’s location
near the equator and The Swamp of Eel’s location near the
coastline, the weather remains tropical all year round.

Humid-warm climate and sandy loam soil result in a perfect
condition for growing cassava. It has become the main
industrial crop of The Swamp of Eels in the past decades,
thus occupying the largest area of the land.

(For people who are not familiar with tropical plants, a field
of cassava can look like a giant cannabis jungle sometimes.)

In the beginning of the rainy season, the monsoon blows
across the area from the southwest to the northeast.
The atmosphere of The Swamp of Eels is quite clear and
pleasant most of the time; however, local people have the
habit of burning things - maybe trash, maybe not trash.
As a resullt, a heavy smoke plume often looms over the
area, and people would always find themselves living
in the dark.




photo: Brand New Art Project



Map

‘A road map of The Swamp of Eels is handed to the newcomer within the first week of the arrival.
The main road, which cuts through the middle of the area, is nicely paved and has a picturesque view of the countryside.
According to the road map, there is one peculiar route.
By going back and forth, and back and forth, between two destinations, for four times repeatedly,
the newcomer will become eligible to ride on the secret street.
There
, the newcomer would donate some flesh and tendons to the asphalt.
Then, the newcomer is considered to be formally welcomed to The Swamp of Eels.’

colored pencil on paper, wood, typewritten text on dyed paper, 96.5 x 155.5 x 4 cm, 2016



Language

‘People at The Swamp of Eels only speak foreign language.’


colored pencil on paper, ink, wood, typewritten text on dyed paper, 62 x 57.5 x 3 cm, 2016




Flora

‘A jungle flower remains in a vase inside a room.’


colored pencil on paper, wood, typewritten text on dyed paper, 160.5 x 120 x 3.5 cm, 2016



Fauna

‘There is the cat with burning balls.
Testicles seem funny, dirty, not small.
Always in pain, Also, deranged.
Nobody likes you,
The cat with burning balls.’



colored pencil on paper, wood, typewritten text on dyed paper, 107 x 47 x 3 cm, 2016



Religion

‘Most of the population of The Swamp of Eels hold indigenous beliefs.
Universe worship is a common practice among the locals.
They also strongly believe in the existence of wormholes.’

colored pencil on paper, wood, typewritten text on dyed paper, 85.5 x 66 x 3 cm each (diptych), 2016



Weather
‘I looked at the sky and then I became a dinosaur,
watching its own extinction.’


colored pencil on paper, wood, typewritten text on dyed paper, 45 x 125.5 x 3 cm, 42 x 101.5 x 3 cm, 38.5 x 123.5 x 3 cm, 2016



Political System
‘The golden goose appears in our garden one morning.
No one knows if the golden goose is really the golden goose
and animals are not allowed in the house.
However, our housemaid also needs to win a lottery.’


colored pencil on paper, wood, typewritten text on dyed paper 77.5 x 99 x 3 cm, 2016



Transportation
‘Hope I'm not trapped at that horrible D Terminal at Sheremetyevo.
Hope I'm not trapped at that horrible D Terminal at Sheremetyevo.
Hope I'm not trapped at that horrible D Terminal at Sheremetyevo.’


colored pencil on paper, wood, typewritten text on dyed paper, 79 x 80 x 3 cm, 2016



Time Zone
‘WTF - Where Is The First Day of The Rest of My Life? (UTC+7 hours)’


colored pencil on paper, wood, typewritten text on dyed paper, 56 x 105 x 5 cm, 2016




Health
‘No medical records found.’


colored pencil on paper, wood, typewritten text on dyed paper, 76 x 111 x 3 cm, 2016



Education
‘No one, he (Charles Morton) (figure a) continues, knows the whereabouts of migrant birds
(figure b) during the winter months; therefore, they reside off the earth (figure c).
The evidence suggests that in returning they come "from above, where the main of the journey
is performed without any gravitation. . .Now, whither should these creatures go, unless it were to the moon (figure d)?. . .
Surely they seek a place where they may have a comfortable repose, but that cannot be any other land here,
for directly upright is not the way to any part of this globe."
At their departure "their chearefulness seems to intimate that they have some noble design in hand, . . .
namely, to get above the atmosphere, hie and fly away to the other world."
(Ancient writing discovered on the wall in a field)’


colored pencil on paper, wood, typewritten text on dyed paper, 95 x 123.5 x 3 cm, 2016



Nong Pla Lai no.1 c-print, 42.5 x 32.5 cm, 10 editions + 1 artist’s proof, 2018
Nong Pla Lai no.2 gellatin silver print, 42.5 x 32.5 cm, 10 editions + 1 artist’s proof, 2018
Nong Pla Lai no.3 c-print, 42.5 x 32.5 cm, 10 editions + 1 artist’s proof, 2018



Museum of The Swamp of Eel book

paperback, 27 x 21 cm, 36 pages, digital print on Accademia paper 160 gsm, coffee dyed, 64 editions + 1 artist's proof, 2018
Mark