Installation of 48 Pillows Offers a Peaceful Exploration of Sleeplessness in Bangkok

PiLLOW, an installation by ©HOMMES.HOM (Sitta Chandarawong), transforms the turbulent experience of sleeplessness into a serene, tactile environment through the use of 48 cushions. Exhibited at the MMAD MunMun Art Destination in Bangkok, Thailand, the installation draws from the artist’s personal struggles with insomnia and dependency on sleeping pills, using these experiences to create a space centered around rest and comfort.

A Sea of Blue Pillows Creates a Peaceful Haven

The structure features 48 pill-shaped pillows, representing each hour within a two-day stretch of sleeplessness. Sizes vary, allowing individuals to interact with them by sitting, lying, or simply resting. This variety transforms the space into an architectural landscape, blurring the distinction between pillow and structure.

The deep blue room, covered wall to wall and floor in rich carpet, immerses visitors in an enclosed, night-like environment. The lack of visual distinction between surfaces promises a complete sensory departure from daily life, invoking the calm of a quiet, starlit night.

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Artwork Inspired by Personal Connection

A central element is a large, tablet-shaped form inscribed with ‘H169’, blending the artist’s initials and a significant room number. This signature piece extends the exhibit’s theme of magnified pharmaceutical shapes, offering a tactile interaction that reimagines these symbols of sleepless nights into comforting, soft structures.

Visitors of all ages engage with the installation in varied ways: children run with abandon, adults rest quietly, and some hide among the oversized forms, all finding personal meaning within the space.

Textural Diversity and Color Palette in the Display

Each pillow combines plush fillings with diverse textiles, echoing the textures of actual pills the artist once relied upon. The choice of colors stems from these medications, converting their appearance into materials designed for contact and comfort. The room’s continuous blue coverage further encloses the space within a seamless environment of tranquility.

This striking use of color and form conveys the emotional and physical weight of insomnia, while offering a space for rest and introspection. By turning the familiar imagery of pharmaceuticals into tangible, welcoming objects, PiLLOW invites a reflection on our experiences and perceptions of restfulness and relaxation.

Exploring Rest Through Design in the Exhibit

On display at the MMAD MunMun Art Destination, this installation is a testimony to the power of design in reframing discomfort into comfort. With its roots in spatial and set design by HOMMES.HOM (Sitta Chandarawong), PiLLOW provides an innovative commentary on the psychophysical space of rest.

Through thoughtful organization and material choice, the collection prompts an exploration of rest and emotional awareness, transforming the act of rest into an art form that is open not just to sight, but also to touch and interaction.

The PiLLOW installation reflects a reimagining of pharmaceutical objects as a comforting, inhabitable space, offering visitors a unique opportunity to rest and reconnect with the rhythms of quietude.

Further exploring the connection between physical forms and art, how Seletti enlarged a Bic Cristal illustrates the transformation of everyday objects into artistic statements.

Sources & Links

• ©HOMMES.HOM (Sitta Chandarawong)
• Usa Mansiri

Source: designboom.com

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