Miti Ruangkritya, Thailand
Room no.2 and Sunset on Unnamed Lanes
Room no.2 and Sunset on Unnamed Lanes is an ongoing project focusing on Khlong Toey, the largest, most densely populated district located in the centre of Bangkok, Thailand. Workers from the countryside started moving to the area in the 1950s with the hope of finding a job as laborers. Today, the population of Khlong Toey is 75,000, living in 14,500 houses.
Most of the people who live in the neighbourhood don’t own their properties and the Port Authority, which owns the land, has expressed its intention to develop it into luxury estates. There has been continuous pressure for the community to move out and talks are underway to relocate the inhabitants of Khlong Toey to other parts of town.
The project looks at a working-class community facing an uncertain future, and is divided into two parts: Room is a collection of interiors of houses in Khlong Toey, portraying the community through their living spaces. Presented as slightly overexposed monotone pictures, they resist against the saturated colourful images sometimes associated with Thailand. The second part Sunset on Unnamed Lanes are images of pathways between the houses connecting the community. Since the neighbourhood grew informally and without a defined plan, these lanes are not named and they are also not recognizable on Google Maps.
Room no.2 and Sunset on Unnamed Lanes is an ongoing body of work. The photographer intends to continue to develop it beyond the masterclass.
