Art with a humourous twist is what you will see at the world’s only Parody art museum at Pattaya which is as interactive as it is an engaging experience.
Art normally is considered serious business with several art galleries having an elitist undertone as well. However, the Parody Art Museum in Pattaya, turns this notion over its head to present a series of art work that will make you smile. Spread over a whopping 8300 square meters, including an outdoor gallery of 6500 square meters, the thought process behind starting this museum was simple, “everything is an art and different artists deliver art in a different format. So what we want to do here is that we want people come and enjoy the art as well as engage with art through this space, all day, any day. Also we intend that this place becomes well known to all as we have a lot of people sharing images on social media. We have something new all the time so you will always find something new here,” says Pubeth Pongthanapat who manages the museum. The museum showcases the work of both artists who are local as well as international. There are three zones in the museum Purple 1F, Green 2F and a Self – Studio that have an array of art work displayed. In fact about 98 percent of the art displayed here is painted by hand and artists who have showcased their work include European, Korean and Thai artists.
The museum has art that you will recognize instantly but comes with a parody twist. As the name suggests, parody is a technique that mimics a characteristic part of a work that someone else first created using puns or sarcasm to make people laugh. So you have paintings of Mona Lisa (who seems to be a popular parody muse here) transformed into Captain America and Vincent Van Goh’s sidekick as well as several reproductions of classic art on display. This is where you can see restructured versions of well-known art pieces and pop culture icons through drawings, sculptures and video clips. Easily one of the most Instagrammable places in Pattaya, the museum’s exhibits link the past with the present very cleverly through the painting made by the artists.
The Selfie Studio is the place where you can take a photo of yourself with the various art exhibits and make yourself part of the art, courtesy three-dimensional paintings and optical illusions. So whether you want to be the face behind ‘The Girl With the Pearl Earring’, be locked up in jail, cuddle up to a large teddy bear or pretend to be a Barbie doll this is where you can indulge in all your fantasies. The museum also conducts art workshops on specific dates. The in house store is a great place to pick up some souvenirs with museum images on totes and T-shirts as well. The museum has been deigned in a way that you can take as many photos as you want and the curator tells us this is intentional as they want people to take photos and post them on social media so everyone can become aware of the space. So you have perfect lighting in all places for that perfect image too. The outdoor area also features many quirky corners for taking photos as well. This is set amidst lush landscape and the art here is not just in the form of paintings but also murals, sculptures and larger than life installations that are all guaranteed to make you laugh out loud. Just come here with an open mind and be prepared to smile and you know that this has been well worth your time. After all travel is all about immersive experiences that show a destination in myriad ways and this one does just that. A must see on your next visit to Pattaya and until then Parody rules.
Fact File
- Address: 159 119 Northpattaya 2/2, Muang Pattaya, Bang Lamung District, Chon Buri 20150, Thailand
- Phone: +66 33-047-103
- Timings: 9:00 a.m. 6:00 p.m.
- E-mail: parodyartmuseum@gmail.com
- Website: http://www.parodyartmuseum.com/
- Tickets Adults (400 Bhat); Children (100~130 cm) – 200 Bhat; Kids (UNDER 100 cm) – Free
This story first appeared in The Tribune dated Feb 2, 2020 here:
