ART FOR PUBLIC: THE CREATION OF ART FOR APPROPRIATE AESTHETICS AND IN THE NEW NORMAL - A CASE STUDY OF "YOO YEN PEN SUK AT SALAYA"

Abstract

          This article is a part of a research project on “Art for public project: Creative Art for New Appropriate Social and Cultural Movement Post COVID-19”. The objective is to create a case study on " The Creation of Art with Appropriate Aesthetics and in the New normal " for Thai society, and to present the concept and process of creating public art that will lead to emotional relief and motivation to move forward with hope. The research team designed an activity to promote art and culture under the concept of "Yoo Yen Pen Suk at Salaya" at Wat Suwanaram, Salaya subdistrict, Phutthamonthon district, Nakhon Pathom province, on July 13, 2022, using research and development (R&D) methodology and working with various community integration concepts, including public art, ecological aesthetics, relational aesthetics, collaborative creativity, and socio-cultural issues related to the post-COVID-19 pandemic situation. The research findings suggest that the success of creating public art to promote art and culture must consider appropriateness and timing, as well as integration with various social issues through different processes. These processes include communication for social learning, artist-network collaborations, community participation from all sectors, understanding and gathering cultural resources within the area, and utilizing the "conservation, deconstruction, and creation" concept as a guideline for design and creative processes to drive truly beneficial community-oriented artistic endeavors. The approaches and principles presented in this public art form can be applied or considered as alternatives for future artistic group projects and other emerging phenomena.