OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLA.- The Oklahoma City Museum of Art is presenting a rare opportunity to view the works of Cannes Film Festival award winning filmmaker Apichatpong Weerasethakul, a leading figure in contemporary film and art. Opening Saturday, March 31, OKCMOA’s “Apichatpong Weerasethakul: The Serenity of Madness” uniquely presents a selected survey of rarely seen experimental short films and video installations by the Thai filmmaker, alongside his photography, sketches and archival materials that explore threads of socio-political commentary.

“This exhibition represents the last stop in the Western Hemisphere in the international tour of these works,” said President and CEO E. Michael Whittington. “It’s an unparalleled opportunity for us to be able to showcase this artist. Apichatpong’s works push the boundaries of traditional film and contemporary art to give a voice to the subjects and people about which he is passionate. We are proud to offer this exhibition to Oklahoma and the nation.”

Apichatpong’s work is an outward expression of his passionate positions regarding class, labor, sexuality, science and spirituality. As an immersive, conceptual and contemporary experience, the exhibition reveals stories often excluded in history in and out of Thailand: voices of the poor and the ill, marginalized people, and those silenced and censored for personal and political reasons. He has developed a realist-surrealist style in which the portrayal of the everyday alongside supernatural elements suggests a distortion between fact and folklore, the subconscious and the exposed, and various disparities of power.

“We are thrilled to bring the work of Apichatpong to Oklahoma and the larger region,” said Director of Curatorial Affairs Dr. Michael J. Anderson. “Opening with a special Sponsor and Film Society event and closing during the deadCenter Film Festival, this exhibition re-emphasizes our commitment to the finest in world cinema, as well as the best in new media art. Apichatpong Weerasethakul is already a household name in film circles. We can’t wait to help further introduce one of the world’s great living artists to museumgoers as well.”

The exhibition will be accompanied by a retrospective of Apichatpong’s theatrical releases in the Samuel Roberts Noble Theater. The exhibition will run March 31 through June 10.

“Apichatpong Weerasethakul: The Serenity of Madness” is a traveling exhibition curated by Gridthiya Gaweewong and produced by Independent Curators International (ICI), New York.