#8 Jew Chinnapat Asavabenya

[y2s2-20182019]

The Story

The images above illustrate the life and death space as well as the journey throughout the whole space. It also illustrate the relationship between those in and out of the subculture.

[y2s2-20182019]

Hedonistic Infrastructure

The Nest is an infrastructure dedicated to serve as a safe space for the subculture. Locating in the district on Bonkai, the space aims to function as a joint connecting the controversial subculture to the general public. It also serves as a secondary gathering space outside of the arena where they can safely practice their activity. Additionally, it also contribute to the spiritual belief of the subculture  being a memorial and ritualistic space.

Site The site The site of the building locates in the gateway of the Bonkai community. The space is selected due to it long history and connection with the subculture being a place where people who come from rural area settle to enjoy the sport of cockfighting.

Life The space of life is at the moment of entrance in the building facing the traditional community. It functions as a place where they can safely practice their daily activity of bounding with their chicken and community. The topography of the space allows both human and chicken to coexist with each other through separation of space by landscape. Gathering space and units within the life space are extracted from the elements and scale use within the arena and training space.

Death The death space allows those within the building to journey and observe the whole life cycle of the cockfighting chicken through the horizontal circulation of the building. The final spot of the space appear the ruin of an cockfighting arena which have now been transformed to be a communal space embracing the life of the chicken. The user would then pass through a space where they have a chance to observe and pay tribute to the life of the chicken by hanging their shoulder piece on the world

Facade The exterior facade of the building is a dynamic facade which at a specific time of the day open to allows light and wind to enter the space. The facade itself is extracted from the biological mechanic of a chicken feather.

[y2s2-20182019]

Thailand Cockfighting - Snapshot

The snapshot explore multiple aspect of how the device could be  use to influence different spatial conditions of the cockfighter in the form of a handheld comic. The residential  pannels illlustrate how the device is being constructed and how it grew alongside the cockfighter as well as how the device itself is being used as a memorial artifact for each chicken. Next, the ritual space visilise how the community amoung different sacred space could interact with each other  while collecting badges for the fight. Lastly, the arena demonstrate  how the skills will actuallly be used and how the device itself have many spatial influence on the game itself.

[y2s2-20182019]

Thai Cockfighting - Affective Device 

The affective deivce aims to combine  the identity  of  both the cockfighter and the chicken which providing the visualisation of their belief such as spells. The device itself is an interconnected bodyware seperated in three scales within their body. The main objective of the device is to allow the action of the cockfighter to be able to influence and manipulate the actual game of cockfighting rather than being just floating folklore.

Cloth : The cloth device which references the main tool use by the cockfighter is a digital screen wraped around the user body allowing the to monitor the wellbeing of the chicken as well as tracking the badges earned by the user. The cloth itself could be manipulated in two forms, the first one being the body form which wrapped itself around the user body it the “X” shape, providing a visual identity interm of badges and allowing the carriage of their companion on the back. Next is the hand cloth form which allow the cloth to be wrapped around the arm of the fighter allowing them to feel the sensitivity of the chicken as well as providing a digital statisitc board of the fight.

Shoulder Piece : The shoulder piece itself functions mainly  to provide the visual identity of the user to mirror those of  their chicken. The shoulder piece is design to grow along side their chicken since birth to the day of fight. Moreover, under each feather locates a smart-inflatable device which allows the feather to rise up and down to mimics the condition of their chicken during the fight. The style itself  was inspired by the biological strcuture of the chicken feather and how they rise up to communicate and intimidate their enemy.

Badges : The badge itself is something that would appear on the body cloth of the cockfighter. The badge act as a collectable achievement which could be obtained through visiting special shrines or given as a champion of a specific province. The usuage of the badges varies found shrine to shrine but the main idea is to control the vision of the chicken during the fight resulting in the  user being able to manipulate the fight. This was a major reference from the traditional method cockfighter use during the fight as they tends  to pray and chant special spell for the well being of their chicken during the competition.

Chicken : The chicken itself wear a special visual device which manipulate what they  see  according  the  the  badges the user chose to use during the fight. For  example, if  the  user  selected  the  badge of invisibilty  which was earned by visiting “Wat Pradaeng” in Chiangmai, the device on the enemy chicken would render it invisible. This would result in the decision making on the chicken and providing a significant values toward the ritual aspect of the subculture using technology.

[y2s2-20182019]

Thailand Cockfighting - Cultural Clock

The cultural clock itself is attached to the identity map to create a flow of informations and well as a comparison between different elements. The main concept of this plate is to compare the lifestyle of two consecutive cockfighter, one being a professional who adopt traditonal style while the another is an amature who work part time as a cockfighter.

Professional - The professional cockfighter adopt the traditional method inwhich the chicken is selected specially. The process began by observing cockfighting daily to spot chicken with a potential talent. Next, the team will then approach the owner of the chicken and offer to buy it at a largue sum of money as an investment. Then they have specific team job with daily  training of the chicken with specific timing and schedual to ensure  the best of their investment. On the day before the fight, the chicken was treated like a professional boxer, with immense gromming and protection against posioing. Lastly, during the day of the fight, the team who is well establied would already have the sum of money prepared and the fight would begin at ease.

Amature - The story of the amature fighter began with him searching in the  internet for what he belive is suitable for the sum of money he have. He then ordred them to be delivered online to his house from provices far away from him. Moreover, due to the day job he have, he paid the price of 300 bath every conseqcutive days to hire the “Mue Nam” or chicken nanny to take care and train his chicken. On the day before the  fight, the chicken was left to rest for over seven days in isoleted coop to increase aggresiveness. Lastly, during the fight he have to gather a couple of his friend  to invest their money on his chicken inorder to match the sum of money require by the professional cockfighter.

[y2s2-20182019]

Thailand Cockfighting - Identity Map

  This identity map explores various aspect of the cockfighting subculture in Thailand. Thailand cockfighting or what commonly known as “Kai Chon subculture” are those who enjoys the generation-old Thai tradition of bring two chicken to fight each other within a restricted arena. For the few dozen men surrounding the arena, the sport itself is a form of cultural preservation, a major entertaiment and what brought the community together. However, for most people, the sport itself is an unethical and brutal sport which involves illegal gambling and animal brutality. 

  History  :  The history of  cockfighting began 700 years ago as  a  main source of entertainment for rural chicken farmer.  The sport transform and grew from a village arena to  big global arena  fitting over 10,000 spectators due to the popularity of  the sport. Those within the subculture values  and enjoy the bravery and brutality of the sport increasing it influence.

  Farm      :  Another huge aspect of the subculture is the raising of chicken. As the cockfighting business is a million dollar business, each chicken is treated parallel to a professional fighter. Chicken were selected since birth and process through daily training and gromming until the day that they are ready to fight. To maintain a genetic pool within the farm, breeder are known to trade their best chicken from farm to farm creating a chain of connection between the subculture.

  Arena     : Unlike the sterotypic view of a cockfighting arena, the atmosphere within the arena are fill with social gathering and laughter rather than brutal and bloody situation. People within the arena came to enjoy the sport and talk about their liking. The fight itself began with a long  process call “Tieb Gai” where chicken are matched together. Next, the fight itself involves money betting from both side according to the value given to each chicken. The fight itself involves pushing two chicken to fight against each other until one dies or run away.