What Falls to the Ground but Can’t Be Eaten 1991

Curator: Vong Phaophanit's installation, "What Falls to the Ground but Can’t Be Eaten," uses raw bamboo to create an immersive environment. The artist emphasizes the material's natural form and texture. Editor: My first impression is that I feel like I'm standing under a waterfall, but a dry one. There’s a strange stillness, like a suspended moment. Curator: Indeed. Phaophanit's work often explores the cultural and economic significance of materials. Bamboo, in particular, is crucial to Southeast Asian construction, art, and even cuisine. Editor: Knowing that, I see the piece as more than just sticks hanging down; it’s about the labour and life intertwined with this plant. It makes you consider how intertwined nature is with daily existence. Curator: Precisely. And the title itself prompts us to think about consumption, waste, and the value we place on natural resources in contemporary society. Editor: Right. It makes me consider the life cycle of an object; it transforms from natural resource to something purely aesthetic and back again. A thought-provoking piece.