The international SOLO festival

The-SOLO-Festival-2womenIf opening night was anything to go by, Bangkokians, then run, don’t walk to the 2016 International SOLO Festival being held at the Bangkok Art and Culture Center (BACC) this weekend. 30 artists from Thailand and around the world pack the schedule with electric performances over the next two days – May 7 and 8.

Among them, the haunting dance sequence by Paola Sorressa and Elisa Lauria of the Mandala Dance Company, an Italian contemporary dance company is not to be missed. Set to Max Richter’s version of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, their movements are almost an engineering feat of fluidity, grace and precision. Briefly become an artist yourself when painting over the canvas that covers visual artist, Ulrich Gottlieb, as part of his Living canvas project.

The-SOLO-Festival-ViolinAcclaimed choreographer Peter Farrell juxtaposes tap dancing with the Kathak of award winning dancer Kalvakalva Murali Mohanis, which manages to modernise the Indian dance while highlighting the traditions of tap. Catch renowned Thai cellist, Yui-Saowakhon Muangkruan’s moving music set against the backdrop of thought provoking paintings by Bangladeshi artist, Kamruzzaman Shadhin from his Boat to Heaven series on human trafficking.

The annual event in its second year is organised by the friends-of-the-Arts foundation (FOTAF), which supports young local students with scholarships to pursue the arts. The programme over the next two days has live performance tours that run every two hours starting at 1pm. This is followed by workshops and master classes conducted by guest teachers and some performers from the festival that are open to the public through 10-15th May.

There is also a silent auction and garden party being held Saturday 7th in the evening at Dinsor Palace.

For details, please visit https://www.ticketmelon.com/event/internationalsolofestival2016

 

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She moved to Bangkok last year from New York, which she called home for 15 years. She spent 13 years on Wall Street, ten as an investment banker before taking a career break to pursue writing. She is Expat Life's Art and Culture editor.