Rirkrit Tiravanija – Thai Artist

Rirkrit Tiravanija is a unique artist that favors relationships over objects. For many artists being collaborative on a social level is the norm, but only recently is the collaboration between the public and artists. However, Tiravanija has been working with the public for close to a quarter-century and has incorporated Thai culture into his work.

Tiravanija was born in Buenos Aires to a Thai diplomat and an oral surgeon. However, he was raised in Thailand, Canada, and Ethiopia. He studied history at the Carleton University, then transferred to the Ontario College of Art, The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, the Banff Center School of Fine Arts and the Whitney Independent Studies Program in New York.

He has had a generational impact like no other artist, which could be seen in his 27 meter-long print that chronicled his nomadic life. The print was exhibited alongside work from Korakrit Arunanondchai a former student of his. In his latest creation of his work Tommorrow is the Question, located at the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, he invited people to play ping-pong.

Recently, he has been working with artists in LA at design studio WHY, where he has set us a timber framed house that is focused on different interaction with the Los Angeles River and the importance of water. In 2016, Tiravanija was named one of the year’s most influential people in the contemporary art world by ArtReview magazine.

The meaning of the Chinese name Rirkrit is unknown. In fact, the name is uncommon and there are barely any notable people with the given name.