Agenda

On 26-27 September 2022, the Department of Asian and North African Studies of Ca’ Foscari University of Venice hosts a double-event that seeks to explore the Italian influences on Thai art and architecture.

On 26 September, the Embassy of Thailand will sponsor a special lecture offered by Prof. Predee Phisphumvidhi of Mahidol University and Mr. Kunlachart Chaimongkol of Yupparaj Wittayalai School, Thailand. This lecture will focus on the work of Carlo Rigoli and Galileo Chini, two Italian artists who worked at the Siamese court between the XIX and the XX centuries.

Prof. Predee Phisphumvidhi explains that “Carlo Rigoli and Galileo Chini were both Italian artists who came to Siam as employees of the Siamese Court. Their genius and talent in western painting was combined with their appreciation of Thai traditional mural painting. Rigoli painted scenes from the Vessantara Jataka, a key Buddhist scripture, on frescos in Rachathiwas Temple, while Chini painted scenes of the Coronation Ceremony of King Rama VI, which he had a chance to eyewitness, on the Dome of the Anantasamakom Throne Hall.”

The exploration of the lasting legacy of Italian culture on Thai art and architecture continues on 27 September with the screening of the film, Me and the Magic Door: Discovering Italian Architecture in Bangkok, which was produced by the Embassy of Italy in Thailand in cooperation with the Thai-Italian Chamber of Commerce. The movie director, Marco Gatti, explains that the 60-minutes film “is a documentary with a fictional story. Through a character with a fictional identity, it guides us to the encounter with historical places and real characters of the past and present.” More precisely, the story follows the journey of Fai, a young Italian woman of Thai heritage, who discovers Italian-Thai architecture during a journey to Bangkok.

The screening of the movie, which was recently released in Thailand, will be followed by an intimate Q&A session with the film director, Marco Gatti, who will engage with members of the audience.

Both events will take place in English language.
Attendees are required to make a reservation via this link.