The Society's Obssession: Youth and Beauty

It's been long established in our society for the obssession with youth and beauty. Being reinforced by all these celebrities undergone a plastic surgery striving to be "flawless". The society that is scared of the truth of imperfection.

"Oh, she is so beautiful. I like her!"

Is that all it takes to be admired? Would you be fully happy and not, in a way, insulted? Who could we blame this on? Or should we even bothered thinking about it at all?

The glossy magazines that give only make-up tips or focus on the weight-lost tips. The supermarkets that choose to sell only perfectly red and round apples or the flawless cabbages that even an insect doesn't dare to have a bite.

Thanks to the constantly developing technology that continously releases new products in attempt to save us all from aging and "ugliness".

This is one of the ideas presented in the new exhibition called "Perishable Beauty" which, in fact, is divided into 8 sections:
1. Anicca - illustrating the nature of decay and ending of things, which apply to all without exception, even the universe. The lifetime of human beings is a blink of an eye, compared to the life span of the universe, and thus we are indefinitely perishable.

2. Death - displaying the death of human beings through rot and decay evident in the food we consume.

3. Fear - the history and evolution of the struggle to avoid death are told in generations, ranging from mummification, cloning, to the making of bone-ash ornaments, etc.

4. Beauty - reflecting people’s delight of keeping themselves in pleasing appearance for as long as possible. The values have opened up the door to global opportunities in business, such as in cosmetics, skincare products, fitness centers, cosmetic surgery, as well as numerous efforts through the media to define beauty in ways that serve certain businesses. The section ends by raising a question of what really is “genuine beauty” – the quality that has never find a permanent description.

5. Season - showing how the short period of each season creates economic value to natural creations, only if we perceive this and take it as a business opportunity.

6. Environment - showing that scenic beauty of nature and surroundings is a result of visionary investment and sensible administration.

7. Freshness Management - presented through the flower industry of the Dutch, who manage to send flowers from their farms to overseas customers with optimized time-efficiency.

8. Last Drop - symbolizing the business opportunity that Thai people should maximize benefits upon, and in the soonest manner.


When: 28 November 2008 - 22 February 2009 | 10:30-21:00
Where: Gallery 2, TCDC