Held in the hotel’s stunning lobby, visitors and guests can experience The Peninsula’s renowned afternoon tea while enjoying performance art by one of Thailand’s most innovative artists
Each Saturday in January and on 2 February 2019, guests enjoying afternoon tea will be treated to an exclusive show by Thai video artist Kawita Vatanajyankur, titled KNIT. The imaginative contemporary art performance serves as a climactic conclusion to the hotel’s partnership with the first-ever Bangkok Art Biennale.
Specially produced for The Peninsula Bangkok, guests and visitors to the hotel will be the first spectators in the world to see this unique personal art presentation. To mark the occasion, bespoke KNIT-inspired sweet and savoury delicacies will complement the hotel’s afternoon tea menu, including a red Mont Blanc dessert, handcrafted by Executive Pastry Chef Nicolas Pelloie.
KNIT is the newest edition in a dynamic performance and video art series entitled ‘Performing Textiles,’ which captivated visitors at the Bangkok Art Biennale 2018. KNIT showcases Kawita Vatanajyankur using her body as a physical medium to challenge the concept of materialism in a world that places a higher value on objects than on the workers who create the finished product. Set in front of a colourful backdrop, the artist presents herself as the tools used by women in textile processes, such as knitting, dyeing and weaving. Simultaneously, her spiderlike movements portray a woman fighting to construct her life through her labour, in the same way that a spider struggles to build a web to survive. KNIT also encourages audience participation to remind us to cherish the skills of the people who are central to creating the intrinsic elements of a luxury lifestyle.
Working with one of Thailand’s most in-demand artists to present this experience aligns with The Peninsula’s global philosophy that arts, culture and wellness are enriching elements of the luxury hospitality experience, and can provide therapeutic mental and physical benefits for guests. Each year, The Peninsula Hotels, located in ten exciting destinations around the world, curates a year-round calendar of exceptional art-inspired events in partnership with leading artists, curators, galleries and exhibitions.
The KNIT Afternoon Tea brings to a climax a highly successful partnership between The Peninsula Bangkok and the inaugural Bangkok Art Biennale, which promotes art as an inclusive expression of human emotions and celebrates the power of paintings, installations, video and performance art to inspire pleasure and positivity in challenging times. Throughout the four-month Biennale, The Peninsula Bangkok was an official partner venue, and showcased an eclectic collection of art pieces enabling hotel guests to interact with thought-provoking installations by renowned artists.
To further enhance The Peninsula Bangkok’s position as a vibrant nexus of international arts and culture in the Thai capital, and to provide a unique platform for emerging and established Thai artists, the hotel will introduce an innovative Artist in Residence programme in February 2019.
A rotating selection of artists will live at The Peninsula Bangkok for a period of up to three months, and create original artworks in a specially created studio inspired by their stay. Guests will be able to meet and chat with the artists in the studio to gain a rare perspective of the artistic process.
The Peninsula Bangkok is honoured to announce that Kawita Vatanajyankur will be the hotel’s first ever Artist in Residence, and will use the opportunity to curate exciting new art for a 2019 exhibition in Europe.
The KNIT Afternoon Tea, featuring live performance art by Kawita Vatanajyankur,will be hosted at The Lobby from 3:30pm to 4:30pm on Saturday 12, 19 and 26 January and 2 February 2019, and is priced at THB 1,400++ for an Afternoon Tea set for two guests.
For reservations and for more information, please call The Peninsula Bangkok at +66 (2) 020 2888 or e-mail diningpbk@peninsula.com.