'some part of me lived here before' Comes to Materials For the Arts Gallery

 Materials for the Arts will present “some part of me lived here before,” a new solo exhibition by MFTA Artist-in-Residence Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya, will open at the Materials for the Arts gallery on October 17, 2024, and be on view through January 10, 2024. A 2024 New York City Artadia awardee, Amanda has completed works of colossal proportions (“I Still Believe in Our City” and “May We Know Our Own Strength”) that have graced the cover ofTIME Magazine and been displayed in Times Square, Lincoln Center, The Brooklyn Museum, and the Bangkok Art and Culture Center. At MFTA, Phingbodhipakkiya turned inwards to produce her latest exhibition replete with personal relics and materials sourced from the city program’s 35,000-square-foot space.

In her new exhibition, Phingbodhipakkiya uses suspended sculptures and assemblages of ephemera to unveil a poetic meditation on the lifespan of objects and their intrinsic connections to human existence. Gleaned from disparate realms —discarded remnants found in the Materials for the Arts warehouse and familiar artifacts of her ancestral Thailand— the works resonate with a profound sense of displacement and impermanence.

“Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya’s profound exploration of personal relics and shared histories invites us to reflect on our own journeys and the ties that bind us to our communities and to one another,” said NYC Department of Cultural Affairs Commissioner Laurie Cumbo. “Her work compels us to look inward, encouraging a deeper understanding of ourselves as we navigate the complexities of identity and connection. It serves as a powerful reminder of the beauty inherent in our collective experiences and the narratives that shape our lives. I wholeheartedly encourage all New Yorkers to explore this exhibition and immerse themselves in its impactful insights.”

“In creating by this body of work I have been ruminating deeply on finding the sublime in the mundane, about revealing and uplifting the incandescence of overlooked objects, places, and people. I hope that audiences can find an intimacy with this work,” said MFTA Artist-in-Residence Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya. “I’m intent on cultivating a space where we can consider the threads of kinship that bind us to our people as we piece together fragmented histories and echoes of places and memories buried deep in the web of our souls.”

“I first saw Amanda’s work back in 2021 when she was Public Artist in Residence with the New York City Commission on Human Rights’ and it’s been incredible to follow the evolution of her work since then,” shared MFTA Executive Director Tara Sansone. “What I find so compelling about Amanda’s art is the dynamic nature of her practice. Whether it’s art campaigns pictured across Times Square, gargantuan textiles draped across several floors, or public art installations that turn spectators into participants, Amanda’s art transcends boundaries and, in turn, touches everyone who bears witness to it. It is the emotional depth and the rich diversity of her work that makes us so honored to have her as our Artist-in-Residence.”

Fresh off her travels to her father’s hometown in Thailand, Phingbodhipakkiya began her residency at MFTA ruminating on a single word: “ผูกพัน,” (pùuk-pan) Thai for “bind/entwine.” Explored both figuratively and literally, “some part of me lived here before” weaves together time and its narratives, heritage, and materials to explore these sculptures’ history, past and present, as they’re suspended in time at MFTA’s gallery.

For her exhibition at MFTA, Phingbodhipakkiya transported distinct materials —metal bottle caps, empty oil tins, discarded fish traps— from Thailand to her studio at Materials for the Arts. Carrying her experiences, much like these artifacts, through her practice, this exhibition pays homage to the artist’s roots: Thai and Indonesian American, the daughter of immigrant restaurant workers, a descendant of rural fishermen. These objects, once cradled by the loving hands of families and neighbors, contain stories of community resilience and shared heritage.

Crimson colored knots spill out of bamboo steamers, baskets, bird cages. Carefully tied threads cascade over clustered objects. A bundle of braided fiber hangs down a wall into a glass of rice and beads. These vessels, much like humans, hold space for bonds, both tangible and impalpable, to overflow. Each fixture its own ensemble of materiality, her work reflects the prosaic relics of domestic life that once contained the unseen labors and fleeting moments that shape our daily rhythms.

The quietly illuminated works installed in MFTA’s gallery gently beckon viewers into a realm of contemplation; sculptures shrouded in soft light awaken dormant recollections from the recesses of our mind. Through floating sculptures suspended by delicate strings, “some part of me lived here before” is a poignant reflection on the fragility of time and the persistence of memory.

“some part of me lived here before” by Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya will be on view at Materials for the Arts through January 10, 2024. The MFTA Gallery welcomes visitors Monday through Friday from 9:00 am to 4:30 pm. Admission to this exhibition is free and open to the public. This fall, Phingbodhipakkiya also unveiled new sculptures and site-specific works as part of “Spirit House” at  the Cantor Arts Center at Stanford University, and “The Brooklyn Artists Exhibition” at the Brooklyn Museum in celebration of their 200th anniversary.

Phingbodhipakkiya’s residency concludes MFTA’s 2024 Artist-in-Residence program, having showcased two other artists earlier this year. For over a decade, this residency has provided artists whose creative practice incorporates reuse with free studio space in MFTA’s 35,000 square-foot warehouse, a stipend, and unlimited access to the troves of donated supplies that have helped fuel NYC's arts community since 1978.

Each MFTA artist residency culminates with a solo exhibition in the MFTA gallery, located at the entrance to The Warehouse. This gallery provides inspiration to thousands of MFTA recipient educators, students artists, nonprofits, and social service organizations picking up supplies, and the general public, encouraging everyone to explore the creative potential of nontraditional arts materials.