60 years after arriving in Thailand for a 5 years professional stay, Fabrizio La Torre is back in this country through the publication of a book and a first exhibition of photos taken there between 1956 and 1961.
"Bangkok That Was" is the title of the two events. Nostalgia and emotion are there for all those, especially the youngest, who discover what was the Thai capital in those times.
This one recognizes the house of his grandfather and the its inherent poetry. Now razed to the ground, it has given way to a mall. Another one understands the vital economic importance of the canals, today replaced by urban freeways. And everyone is surprised by this photo showing the passage of King Rama IX in his car, his subjects being so close that they could touch the vehicle, proximity, connivance, sympathy, unthinkable today.
Supported by the embassies of Italy and Belgium in Bangkok (Fabrizio was born in Rome but lived his last days in Brussels…), the exhibition at Serindia Gallery (28-11-2018 / 20-01-2019) has been very successful both with the Thai public as well as tourists and expatriates, all of whom being sensitive to the artist's poetic vision.
The eponymous book naturally finds its place in the bookshops of the capital, as well as in tourist places (hotel or airport shops).
For the past year, framed art prints and books have been on permanent sale at the Open House, the cultural center of the Central Embassy mall, which combines literature, painting, photography and gastronomy in an incredible mix. Consume on the spot or take away. Fabrizio La Torre’s work in Thailand easily finds its natural audience, even though many of the photos from this time and from this country often take the path of American and European collectors.
Next step in Bangkok scheduled for early 2021 will probably find itself a bit delayed: another book, another exhibition, on an artistic discovery of La Torre: the scenes of the daily life of the Siamese people two centuries ago through paintings on lacquer still unpublished
Next step in Asia: Hong Kong, and a portfolio that tells how the past of this territory had nothing in common with that of mainland China. When nostalgia meets curiosity.