Mim's installation development "Temptation"

Thinking process & Experimentations

First of all, I explain how I define erotic. From analyzing Sophie Calle, I found out that she went with the obvious. She triggers imagination by texts and show relation my photos which these are very obvious and it is very effective. 

From my interest in Sophie Calle's ideology of triggering imagination and her way of examining personalityand obvious interaction of people, I define 'Erotic' with the obvious definition form the dictionary.

erotic |iˈrätik|

adjective

of, relating to, or tending to arouse sexual desire or excitement.
 In most of Calle's work she uses herself into the work, she follows people, being followed, allow strangers on her bed, gives personal letters for strangers to read, etc. So first, I went and asking people who I never know they ever have or never had sex, what sex was for them and what makes them think about it.


"Symbolic things which look like man/women thingy"
"Outstanding movement or any kind of media that act or pose in a sexual way"
"It's like food! You taste a good food once, the next time you see it, you know it is tasty. It makes you feel hungry...Mmm"



For the next experimentation I objectify myself and made a typology of me in different outfits and send via email to 10 guy and girl friends. (They can pick as much as they like.)

The responses:

a.  - 0b.  - 0  c.  - 6d.  - 0 e.  - 2f.  - 4g.  - 0h.  - 1i.  - 2

Then I decided to go to a night entertainment clubs and observe. 
1. The customers2. The workers3. Surrounding4. Me
The place I went was Crezh Trendy Lounge on Ekamai Street. I went with different friend who has different background and genders. I took my friends their for the first time for everyone of us and we wrote down journals of the experience. I thought the first experience in a place we have never been through would be different from the second time, so we went their again but not with the exact same group of friends. I drew quick sketches of the space as well to capture more of the experience. 

 - APPROXIMATION PLAN -this is all base on memory

- PHOTO & VIDEO -of the real place

- DOCUMENTATION -

 

30 January 2013

                  “It was 9.30 PM my girls and me are getting ready to go out tonight. We went to lounge named Czech trendy club in Ekamai, Bangkok. This is my first time experiencing such a place. A lounge is where guys (old guys) come with just one reason hang out with girls. When we arrive, I see high-end cars lining up for the valet parking. The men stepped out of those luxurious car looks very wealthy and old, but some are not. I stepped into Czech, the first moment I felt very awkward. There was a big entrance hall with girls sitting on a sofa, and then there is another grand entrance to go inside the place. It is a high ceiling dance floor with stages. Light flashes everywhere everything seems to be a blur. Girls are dancing with little clothes on stage and laps. We were brought to our seats when a famous band, Tattoo Color came on stage the whole surrounding changed. Girls dancing on the stage stepped down, men gathered to them offering to buy them drinks. Soon everybody was settling in place and the band started playing. Girls changed from dancing very seductively into a more playful dance. Old men, young men, everybody seems to enjoy with the music. Although it seems to me that they are enjoying the girls dancing with them more. I wonder if the girls are not enjoying this band, the guest won’t be enjoying it either. It seems to me that the atmosphere in this lounge changes through the action of the girls. My guy friends did not seem to pay much attention to the band playing but instead, I see there eyes looking at one lady wearing little erotic black cloth with little jeans. Her dance move is very attractive and eye catching, as she walks toward us talking to my friends. Her movement was very seductive and charming. I asked the owner about her and she was said to be the “best-seller”.

Soon, the band is over and girls, whom we here called coyote, went back up to the stage. Men look very vigorous, some select dancers so sit and drink with them. As the night flows, the crowds start to settle. Every men seems to get girls, his hand covering her breast, his mouths on her body parts, their body were on each other but with clothes on. Some went inside rooms karaoke room, doing who knows what. People surrounding or tables seems to be in their own world, then we decided to leave with out anyone noticing.”

MIM 

                  “I was invited to Czech Trendy club at Ekamai. This is my first time here. I was so excited because I hear from my friend that lounge is totally different from nightclubs that I usually go with friends. It took me a while to pick what kind of dress I should wear because I don’t want to look like a girl working there. Finally, I’m arrived at Czech the brand new club in Ekamai and high-end service with many facilities. First step in Czech was surprise me, I though this place should decorated like palace or neo-roman’s style but interior inside is similar to high-end night club in this area. All girls here wear less cloth, act so friendly, smile all the time and so entertain costumers. When step into inner part of club, there’re large and long stage and girls dancing in sexy move. Event there are not that good dancer but I was ignore that part because there are hot. While was I watching the show I was looking around and saw girls give an old guy lap dance, kissing, hug, or play game to entertain. Everyone seem don’t care when I look at them. The music type is same as nightclub so I wonder guys (not in the age that will enjoy listening to this type of music) would enjoy the moment? Lighting and interior inside make you feel alive and excited all the time. Things around me moving all the time, I can smell smoking and alcohol inside but not that strong because ceiling is so high. I walked to toilet and on the way I think I can says this place is full of foreigners, there are Japanese, Russian, Arabic and etc. I felt awkward that I keep staring at people and they not even loot at me because they have their own moment. I saw the telephone room which inside is silent. I get to go up to second floor which have Karaoke room – guest have to pays hold night, price start at 3,000 and can go up to 8,000 baht. So I assumes that people come here must be rich to spend more than 10,000 baht a night with ladies. Oh! One table limited only 4 people not including ladies, which mean every four guys have to buy one bottle of alcohol and cocktail is for ladies. This place not allows woman who not working here but if woman want to come so they have to pays 500 baht and count as one guy to open table. I’m enjoying watching them dancing because of they body and action.”

SARAR 

                  “First of all I have to say that it is not really my things I don't hate people or music
but I just doesn't like the atmosphere that has been going on around the place. I don’t feel like it is a pleasant place, everything that goes around in that place is just temporarily, just a flash. The girls are really hot I have to 
admitted it but in order to gain my attention it going to be more than this. For myself I really love to know what they
really interest in their real life rather than here. I love to see how they live what is their lifestyle really is? But as far as I have seen they are quite similar and it just bored me but I don't blame them because at least they know
what they are doing and I really do respect them because they are here for work. 
Maybe I’m so ignorance and people who goes there just try to have fun somehow it gave me sad feeling for no reason
but anyway that's just me.”

MARSH  

 

Feb 04.13

                  “I think that lounge is quite chaotic and the light is so flashy and very uncomfortable to see anything. Everything in side is so dense in terms of people and music. The combination of light and music make me feel that everything is so blur seems to move slower in rhythm. Moreover, there are nice looking women, that I don’t call them ladies, dancing and trying to show their body as much as possible to get attention from those guys who see them as an object for sale that could entertain them for a night.”

MEGAN 

                                    “I've never been to the places like this. But the opportunity came heh heh. I feel very excited when I got onto the taxi. At approximately 22:00 pm, I arrive at a massive door. After walking through the door I find woman sitting on the side. And men (30 and above) sitting beside them.

I’m excited I cannot imagine that it would be this blatant. The lights are very flashy with a lot of colors. The women looks extraordinary.... the women on the stage looks even more beautiful. When we went to have a seat. We chose a table by the door very close to those women. I had a very close look at them.

The table beside us is Korean old men. I have to say they look really horny, staring at their boobs. Then girls walked into them, I really want to tell the foreigners that “staring at boobs that close is inappropriate in Thai society” but I forgot… I think here, the girls are willing too. If I jump in and say that, I think I would get a slap from the girls. Hahaha. Anyways, I enjoyed my time, I never imagine coming to place like this. “

PETER  

                  “For the first time visitor. I feel that for me the place is very not comfortable. Looking at girls, half naked dancing like they are a kind of animal that really wants sex. Just saying, for me it is gross. The light and atmosphere of the place can make the person feel the way they want, a blur, a flash, and the girls dancing erotically. Like the space hypnotized you the way they feel.”

SHERRY

- SKETCHES -

Sketch of VIP sofa 

Sketch of Karaoke room

Sketch of views seen on the table

Dance movement gestures

 Site Analysis

Central room, next to 2nd year's studio, 7th floor

Since we are installing the 'kiss' at night, I walked around the faculty during 7 PM. I found this site and liked it because of the shadow that the wall cast. Not only the wall but also the reflective glossy floor. It is amazing because the light cast everywhere. Everything glows, from right wall cast onto the left wall and floor, and the opposite. 

Therefore, I made a diagram analyzing the site,

- WHERE LIGHTS CAME FROM? - 

 - VENTILATION OF THE ROOM -

- REFLECTION DIAGRAM -

Adaptation & Visualization
Base on my analysis of Sophie Calle's ideology of triggering imagination using text and photograph images, self experimentation about sexual entertainments, and site analysis, I guaranteed that most of the people in this faculty, or I can say this university never visit a place like this before and vise versa, girls working in the club lounge some never been to school! Therefore, I want to kiss the university with the club lounge. I want to bring in the sensuality of the lounge so that people will understand the experience and the meaning of it. By doing so, I must be very careful because it is prohibited for both place to collides together by any means. People wearing uniforms are not allowed in lounges and sexual entertainments are not allowed in educational area in which I ask myself, "Why not?". 
I propose to bring lounge into the university in a educative way. I want to manipulate the audience so that they 'think' they are coming to lounge but then no. What I am going to do is, to let people read the documentation, imagine through it not only because reading is a direct way of triggering imagination, it is also very effective. While the audiences are reading their would be light coming from the door, this is to make the reader question what is behind the door. With light flashing through a door casting its movement on walls, it would triggers the imagination even more. 
From my experience in the lounge and documentation, I found out one truth about this is that "The place (club, lounge, prostitute, sexual entertainments,etc.) is a lie. The space is a set up for customer to go in and enjoy a fake moment where everything is artificial, like being drugged or hypnotized. I finalized my words into one small quote "This is a fraud". Since my installation is planning to deceive people and teach people about the imitated space, the ending of my installation will be a sign board with the quote. And this sign board will also be the source of the light that reflects into room. In conclusion, the sign board is compared to be the lounge which is the source that triggers sexual imagination stimulate again by the text and it is a "FRAUD".

- DIAGRAM-Classroom arrangement and signboard lights

Fonts and making of signboard