Revolutionary Music Movements under Distorted Rule of Law

Wed, 31st Jan 202416:00– 17:45

 at radialsystem,Saal

Discussion with Pisitakun, Eugénie Mérieau, Pinky Htut Aung hosted by Stefanie Alisch

A long-time figure in Thailand’s anti-monarchy demonstrations, Pisitakun has been researching the sounds of protest in his native home and connecting to other movements worldwide. Part of his long-term artistic project »The Three Sound of Revolution« is presented this year at CTM. This session will take a deeper look at Thai political and legal contexts, and the protest movements and musics that aim to influence and improve them. A look into neighbouring Myanmar, which is closely interconnected in history and protest, aims to reveal how separate movements can influence and reinforce one another while remaining focused and independent.

Music is an indispensable element of protests and political movements, uniting people and opening a channel for communicating ideas and stories about injustice and limited freedom of expression. Music is also a powerful tool that can alchemise the conditions and limitations of repressive laws. It not only presents an image of each protest movement, or meaning through song lyrics, but can also shine a light on and express particular legal contexts that oppress communities or societies at a given time. Conversely, understanding laws and legal contexts against which protest movements are agitating is important in order to be able to explore the communication taking place through music.

Beginning with Pisitakun’s native Thailand – whose recent protest history began with a student uprising turned popular resistance movement on 14 October 1973 – the specialist in Thai law and politics Eugénie Mérieau will share academic and historical details on Thailand’s political complexities and dilemmas, as well as how each political resistance and its aftermath has impacted Thai society today as a whole.

Thailand and Myanmar also share the heavy interdependent history of reform and the frequent cycle of coups that may determine the future. Pisitakun will be joined by the artist and activist Pinky Htut Aung to share their insights into Thailand’s coup culture and Myanmar's current political climate, bringing forth sonic examples from their own experiences within artist and protest movements in their respective homelands. In comparing and contrasting sound and protest in their respective countries, they also point to how these movements can remain interdependent while resonating with and reinforcing one another.