1993 APT1 Conference : Identity, tradition and change

political and economic changes are rapidly redrawing national and regional borders. The global forces have created transformations urging us to rethink about pressing issues such as nationality, sexuality, ethnicity, gender, and class. It is rather strange to talk about Thailand's cultural identity and art while standing here at the peripheral edge of a country that is trying very hard to change its 'down and under' image to 'a sophisticated trading country in Asia' . One needs to be careful not to slip into the trap of politically correct fiction of 'self-Orientalizing' or 'self-Asianizing' mode. Contexuality needs to be considered in terms of Thailand's position not only in relation to Australia, but her neighbours in Asia as well as Europe and America. In terms of identity and tradition, to take on a nationalist expression is a prerequisite of being considered 'political'. Who am I and who am I addressing to? A male, yellow skin, exoticized Other talking about the art of my Siam through the vocabruary of non-Eurocentric approach? How can I present the many forces that constitute the multi-faceted society and its art to the audience dominated by the Caucasoid, thin lipped, minimum skin pigmentation, the pale, and the frekled? Most of the audience that has been enmeshed for many decades, not with Asia, but Mother Britannia. Therfore, what do cliche words like gender, sexuality, nationality, or class actually mean in context of Thailand's cultural identity 2