A Bridge Between Music, Sound and Art: Exploring New Possibilities
What if the music hasn't changed — only the way we're listening? This project turns sound into exploration, harmonizing Thai music, prepared piano, improvisation, visual art, and technology to push what music can feel like.
Making waves means expanding sound beyond what we know, while staying rooted in where it comes from — and this project leads us to find deeper meaning in what that phrase can hold.
It's the spirit at the heart of the residency of elekhlekha อีเหละเขละขละ (Nitcha Tothong & Kengchakaj), an artist invited by Bangkok Kunsthalle from May 14 to July 12, 2026, centered on their main project, "ล้อมวง (Surrounded)," alongside a series of Open Studios sharing broader works-in-progress from across their research.
Kengchakaj Kengkarnka (elekhlekha อีเหละเขละขละ) performs on the piano during the Final Performance of "ล้อมวง (Surrounded)."
elekhlekha is a Lenapehoking (Brooklyn)-based Thai diaspora collaborative practice working across art, sound, and technology. Their research engages contested histories and Southeast Asian contexts through subversive storytelling — merging cultural knowledge with code, algorithms, and multimedia to imagine what decolonized musical futures might sound and feel like.
"ล้อมวง (Surrounded)" is built with Thai traditional instrumentalists Kanta Kantaphong (Pi Nora and Southern Thai instruments), Matas Masungsong (Thai percussion), and Pitchaon Kanajaroen (Jazz drummer) — each bringing their own knowledge into the process. Across four "ล้อมวง (Surrounded)" Open Studios — held on Saturday May 23, Sunday May 31, Saturday June 13, and Saturday June 20 — one collaborator introduced a theme, and the group developed it together through open rehearsal, treating the residency as a space of genuine exchange rather than demonstration. The project culminated in its Final Performance on Saturday June 27, 8 pm, with lighting design by Voratorn Peerapongpan.
Nitcha Tothong(Visual Artist - elekhlekha อีเหละเขละขละ)
Pitchaon Kanajaroen(Jazz drummer)
Matas Masungsong(Thai percussion)
Kanta Kantaphong (Pi Nora and Southern Thai instruments)
Alongside this, elekhlekha hosted two further Open Studios of their own — Saturday, June 6, and Saturday, July 4 — opening a wider window into their practice and sharing works still taking shape from across their broader research, beyond "ล้อมวง (Surrounded)" alone.
Bangkok Kunsthalle invited elekhlekha and built the residency program that made this exchange possible, creating the time, space, and public platform for the work to take shape openly in front of the public — from the first workshop through the final performance. The residency formally concludes on July 12, 2026.
The Final Performance of "ล้อมวง (Surrounded)" by elekhlekha อีเหละเขละขละ and collaborating musicians at Bangkok Kunsthalle.
Technology played its part too, in support of the artists' ideas. Yamaha Disklavier™ C3X grand piano was prepared so its timbre echoes a traditional gong ensemble. Six Yamaha HS5i studio monitors were arranged around the piano, distributing sound throughout the space and reinforcing the work's sense of shared musical dialogue, echoing the interplay of call and response that lies at the heart of the improvisational practice.
Yamaha Rio3224-D stagebox managed the audio network, ensuring reliable signal distribution across the system. Generative visuals moved across the floor; there was no stage and no fixed seating. Audiences found their own place within the work, moving freely as it unfolded while engaging in an ongoing dialogue with the artists and collaborating musicians, becoming active participants in the shared creative experience.
The Final Performance of "ล้อมวง (Surrounded)" by elekhlekha อีเหละเขละขละ.
This work brought together elekhlekha, Bangkok Kunsthalle, and Siam Music Yamaha, which contributed a Disklavier™ Grand Piano C3X-ENPRO and professional audio equipment — alongside support from the Jerome Foundation, whose funding helped make this search for new possibilities across music, sound, and art possible.
Visual mapping by Nicha Tothong (elekhlekha อีเหละเขละขละ) from the Final Performance of "ล้อมวง (Surrounded)"
<Websites for reference> Artist Interview Video by Yamaha Music Thailand https://www.instagram.com/reel/DZz6U8PvlVd/
Audience Interview by Yamaha Music Thailand https://www.instagram.com/reel/DZ17fhsx99e/
Bangkok Kunsthalle’s Posts https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1DFegcKW5L/ https://www.facebook.com/share/p/19qz1ZzudN/ https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1JJ9Jfja3J/
Artists elekhlekha อีเหละเขละขละ https://kengchakaj.info/ https://nitchafame.work/info
