Wanderlust: Expat Life & Style in Thailand August / September 2015 - Art & Education Issue | Page 50

Travel & Lifestyle

SPEEDY GRANDMA &
SPEEDY GRANDCHILD
Lee Anantawat and Thomas Menard, both
big supporters and art enthusiasts of the
dynamic Thai contemporary art scene,
founded Speedy Grandma in August 2012.
In 2015, Pisitakun Kuntalang and Judha Su
joined the team, and together they started to
position Speedy Grandma as an alternative
space.
In addition to monthly exhibitions at
Speedy Grandma, they recently launched
a new project, Speedy Grandchild, which
is exclusively dedicated to art students and
amateur artists who occupy their second
floor studio each month.
Speedy Grandma runs artist-in-residency
programs for international artists to share
their experiences with local artists and
audiences. Lee Anantawat tells us that
‘Granny’ truly believes in the transformative
power of art, youthful spirit, and nonhierarchical relationships:
The name Speedy Grandma comes from an urban
ghost legend. A grandma riding a motorbike in
Bangkok was cut in two pieces by a string stretched
in a small street. The legend warns that if anyone
rides too fast in that small street today, he will see
in his wing mirror the upper half Grandma’s body
crawling after his vehicle. Just as an urban legend can
spread quickly, the “Speedy Grandma” space aims at
popularizing art and promoting a new generation of
talented and ambitious artists. The name also reveals
the quirky character of the four members of the team.

“Art should not be condemned to
an isolated or exclusive universe, so
our main mission is to advocate for
the dynamic and critical role of art in
the society. We see experimentation
as a mode of inquiry, which is
necessary if we are to insist on a
constant, probing, and generous
interaction with reality. If you have
a daring and risk-taking idea and
think we can be helpful, just contact
us. As ‘Granny’ with a restless soul, I
am always available for you.”

Speedy Grandma & Speedy
Grandchild
672/50-52 Soi Charoenkrung 28
Bangrak, Bangrak, Bangkok
Website: www.speedygrandma.com
Phone: [phone] for Jen
([phone] for Thomas

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