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Aura Mekong Project | Thailand

  • About the organization

    Mekong Contemporary Art Foundation promotes the dissemination of contemporary art from the Mekong basin countries (Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar) to Japan and the world. Their aim is to hold exhibitions and disseminate information about contemporary art in the Mekong region, to find and foster artists and curators in the Mekong region, and to promote international exchange with artists in Japan and other countries, thereby contributing to the development of contemporary art in the region.

  • Our goals

    1. Unite the diverse cultures and art of the Mekong region. The art and culture of Mekong is diverse, not only by country, but by region and generation. Hence, it was difficult to see the larger picture of art in the area, leaving it pretty much unknown to the rest of the world. 2. Establish a means to disseminate the art of Mekong. We wanted to find a means, not only to create a unified image and brand for the art of Mekong, but to symbolically present the diversity and energy that runs through the art, making it available to a much wider, global audience.

  • Our solution

    With Mekong Contemporary Art Foundation, we created an online platform that introduces art and artists from the ASEAN region, mainly targeting Japanese art investors and buyers, while keeping an English-speaking audience in mind. Currently, the platform introduces art and artists from the Mekong area to the rest of the world through the promotion of exhibits, museums, and galleries.

1. Create an identity that represents the diversity of the region.

2. Share the art and artists of Mekong to a global audience.

1. Create an identity that represents the diversity of the region.

Before national boundaries were created in the region, cultures were passed forth through generations like individual streams of the great Mekong River. There are no schools or factions within the art world in ASEAN, but rather a unique, human vitality that runs commonly through the art. “Auru,” the word for energy, was the inspiration behind the title of the platform AURA. The name also harkens to the “aura” or “humanity” that is felt within the artwork. We also created a visual theme that is used throughout the website, titled the “Aura Frame.” The frame serves to highlight the uniqueness and vitality that runs through the work of the Mekong artists. Its parts are reminiscent of the angles characteristic of architecture in the Mekong area, and rearrange to create the Aura logo. The graphic is also used in the business cards of those who take part in the art project.

2. Share the art and artists of Mekong to a global audience.

We created the online platform AURA in both English and Japanese to cater to audiences of both languages. Both the art and the artists themselves are the focal point of the articles sharing the world of Mekong. The title and concept of the platform are also introduced within the website.