Yantra / Film

‘Yantra: The Sacred Ink’ is an experimental documentary short on Thailand’s Yantra tattoo tradition.

For centuries, Thai people have believed in the power of talismanic tattoos. The tradition was passed down by generations of tattoo masters, who create the designs, and empower them with prayers.

Each year devotees pay respects to their tattoo masters at the “Wai Khru” (master day) ceremony. The devotees often enter a state of trance known as “Khong Khuen” (animal spirit possession) when they are “possessed” by the spirit of their tattoos.

Originally designed as a four-minute film for looping museum display (Musée du Quai Branly), the film is a much deeper and more immersive dive into the altered state the entranced devotees find themselves in.

Before this film came a photography project of the same name, which has been exhibited in 20 venues world wide including Musée du Quai Branly in Paris, Arles Photo Festival, Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, Tropen Museum, Amsterdam.

For more info on the photographic project Yantra: The Sacred Ink, as well as exhibitions please visit this page:

SCREENINGS

Installation view, Tropenmuseum, Amsterdam
Installation view, Tropenmuseum, Amsterdam

(LC) denotes Long cut (9:49′) Formats: DCP and Mov

(MC) denotes: Looping museum cut (4:58′) Mov

Post screening talk at Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts.

Screenings:

Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts, Kaohsiung, Jan 18 2020 (LC)

El Museo Cultural, Currents New Media, Santa Fe, June 13 & 20 2019 (LC)

Festival Signes de Nuit, Bangkok & Thai Film Archive, June 22-30, 2019 (LC)

SESIFF, Seoul, Official Selection Sept 2018 (LC)

Balinale, Bali, Official Selection Indonesia, Sept 2018 (LC)

Design Museum, Ghent | ‘A Wild Thing’ May 19 2017 – May 2021 (MC)

Natural History Museum, Los Angeles | Nov 19 2017 – Apr 15 2018 (MC)

Tropen Museum, Amsterdam | March 31 2017 – Dec 2018 (MC)

Alliance Française, Bangkok | Sept 14, 2017

Field Museum | Chicago Oct 17, 2016 – April 30, 2017 (MC)

Museum of Folk Art, Santa Fe | Feb 28, 2016 to March 19, 2017 (MC)

Royal Ontario Museum, Ontario | April to Sept 2016 (MC)

MAS | Museum aan de Stroom, Antwerp | Feb 16 – April 17 2016 (MC)

Tropen Museum, Amsterdam | March 20th – August 20th 2015 (MC)

Musée du Quai Branly, Paris | May 6th 2014 – Oct 18th 2015 (MC)

Galerie Olivier Waltman, Paris | May-Jun 2014 (MC)

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