Making Art and Recording Public History: A Case Study from the “Future’s History” Activity

Abstract

This is a case study of a durational art activity, “Future’s History,” organized in a space called “Bangsaen Museum (ad-hoc).” Inspired by the tale of Butades, who traced the shadow of her loved one, this activity recruited 50 local participants to draw with the aid of a projector and, at times, the assistance of the author. These drawings were exhibited alongside other artworks during the “Gallery’s Night Bangsaen” festival. The objectives of this project are 1) to create a platform for Bangsaen residents to share their own views through self-made drawings without relying on intermediaries and 2) to offer an alternative way of connecting with art through the act of drawing, especially for those with limited opportunities to access the art world. The method includes artistic experiment and participatory observation. Data collection was in the form of field notes, photographs, and videos, which were analysed descriptively. Through the activity, participants overcame their fear of the drawing process and revealed themselves through self-portraits and portraits of loved ones, especially those no longer with them. They represented the residents of Bangsaen, who have their own reasons for staying, sometimes away with their beloved. Through the activity, the space was temporarily transformed into a public space where the artist is no longer a sole hero, but part of a community of like-minded individuals. Although not intended as historical documentation, the participants’ drawings captured relationships, grief, and memory. Viewed collectively, they reveal an emotional landscape of Bangsaen rarely represented in formal records, offering fragments of lived experience that may contribute to a broader sense of public history.