31 century museum around the world

The Land Foundation: www.thelandfoundation.org

Language : ENGLISH : THAI

Initiated in 1998, the land (more direct translation from Thai to English would be, the rice field) was the merging of ideas by different artists to cultivate a place of and for social engagement.

The land is located in proximity to the village of Sanpatong, a twenty minutes drive from the center of the provincial capital Chiang Mai. As some rice farmers are having difficult times in the area, due to the levels
of floods and high water level, rice farming has not been very productive. Because of this, some rice fields in the area have been offered for development, as the rice farmers are looking to find better areas for the fields.

Though initially the action to aquire the rice fields were initiated by two artists from Thailand, the land was initiated with anonymity and with out the concept of ownership. The land was to be cultivated as an open space, though with certain intentions towards community, towards discussions and towards experimentation in other fields of thoughts.

The land and its topographical environment (landscape) as it now stands, was cultivated through the philosophy and argicultural technique of a Thai farmer by the name of Chaloui Kaewkong. The ideas around the cultivation of the topography which is 1/4 earth (mass) and 3/4 water (liquid), is based on the composition of the human body. As there is water around, an argiculture irrigation stream on the one side and a natural stream on the other, a series of ponds and pools were layed out in relation to the usage of water.

In the middle of the land lies two working rice fields, which is an on going realtionship to the initial rice field itself and a lose group of students from the University of Chiang Mai and the local village. Rice has been grown and harvested yearly, though initiated as an experimental project to grow and harvest rice year round (rather than seasonaly), and the harvest which yields in approximation 1000 to 1500 kilograms are shared by all participants involved and to some families in the local village that has fallen ill from the AIDS epidemic. Presently these two fields have been the most active part of the usage of the land. As well, fruits trees and edible plants are dispersed in to the landscape, though awaiting, the fruits to be bared. Vegetables and diffrent assortments of salads and herbs will be planted as well.

There is no electricty or water, as it would be problematic, in terms of land development in the area. As it is not the intention to develop the land for any value intrensic to land development, the lack of such ammenities, was a simple solution from such development. There will be development and experimentations to use natural renewable resources as sources for electric and gas. The artis group Superflex from Copenhagen have been developing their idea of the Supergas ( a system utitising biomass, such as shit, to produce gas), and they have been engaging in using the land as a lab for the development of their biogas system. The gas produced will initially be used for the stoves in the kitchen, as well as lamps for light. Arthur Meyer an american artist from Chicago, has also been interested to develop a system for utilising solar power, as another source of energy to be stored and use. These projects will as well engage interested participation of the local village as well as students from the local schools and Universities. Water is not a problem, however, chemical pesticides and other such products have been intorduced into the rice fields, which in turn feeds into the water streams and system. In the center of the land is an isolated pool of ground water, made from natural filtering of the ground content, however, tests will have to be made through out the year for any contaminations. As well various pools and ponds will be used for the farming of fishes, a project to be initiated by a young Thai artist Prachya Phintong.

the land Project

It is a land where no one has ownership. It is a social experimental space, which belongs to everyone. It is an intention, which hopes that every place on earth would be like this someday, to overcome the boundary of possessions, beliefs and borders of culture, tradition and law. Where everyone can share and develop it together. For me, The Land is a trailer that triggers to warn all of us that, in the end, no one can own the land. For the land belongs to nature.