Artist Pratchaya Phinthong speaks to Alia Swastika about his interest in mitigating the impact of the global climate crisis and the generative possibilities of research-based, contextual practice. Tune in to hear more about his collaborative project ‘We are lived by powers we pretend to understand’ (2024), commissioned for Sharjah Biennial 16 which included hand-carved granite stones bearing the patterns of solar panel grids being placed around Sharjah’s public spaces. Phintong tells us about how he organised this ecological initiative—involving scientists, divers, coral activists and UAE-based environmental policy makers—to extract coral from a heritage wall to resurrect reef structures. 

CREDITS

Host: Alia Swastika

Guest: Pratchaya Phinthong 

Editorial and Content Strategy: Jyoti Dhar, Kamayani Sharma and Mahshid Rafiei

Podcast Producer: Kamayani Sharma

Sound Engineer: Basil Kisswani

Show Notes: Rosalyn D'Mello, Kamayani Sharma and Jyoti Dhar

Music and Sound: Excerpt from field recording for 'We are lived by the powers we pretend to understand' (2024) by Pratchaya Phinthong

Special Thanks: Nawar Al Qassimi, Jiwon Lee, Sara Al Mheiri and Khalid Mohammed

© Sharjah Art Foundation, 2025

This episode was recorded on 2 September 2024.