Surasi Kusolwong was born in Ayutthaya, Thailand in 1965. He is based in Bangkok, Thailand. Surasi creates experiences, not forms. He builds pieces centered on themes of economic exchange. He creates works that involve viewer interaction. Surasi is inspired by Asian culture. He continuously delves into works that reflect consumer society. Surasi wants his work to become a memory for the viewer.
He created a project called Minimal Factory ($1 Market)/Red Bull Party (with D.J.) (2002). In this project he recreated a Thai market inside a gallery space. All of the Thailand produced objects were sold for one dollar each. These were practical items that consumers could use in everyday life. Surasi observed in this project that many people were purchasing things for family and friends. Sharing the experience makes it become more than about oneself.
The project that was shown during our visit to NYC at PS1 was called Golden Ghost (The Future Belongs to the Ghosts). He filled a large gallery space with wool waste. In the massive expanse of fabric he hid 10 golden necklaces. The piece highly encourages audience participation, because if you are lucky enough to find a necklace, you get to keep it. The piece is playful but it is also a metaphor for consumption.
He has shown internationally, including exhibitions at MoMA P.S.1; Hayward Gallery, London; and Kiasma Museum of Contemporary Art, Helsinki.
Sadly, no one in our group found one of the pure gold necklaces. I searched for nearly an hour and a half with no luck. Even though we walked away without the gold, it was fun to play in the room full of wool.