RCB Portrait Prize 2021 Packing Room Jury Announced

In every museum and gallery around the world is a team of people responsible for curating, receiving, hanging and repacking artwork for the next exhibition. The industry refers to this group of staff as ‘The Packing Room’.

River City Bangkok’s gallery staff are responsible for the programme of exhibitions, sometimes working years in advance to present works from artist across Thailand and around the world. They seek out galleries, collectors and artist, arrange shipping, prepare the gallery, and install the artwork whatever its form or narrative.

Exhibitions such as ANDY WARHOL: Pop Art are original works of some of the great artists of our time, borrowed from collectors who have accumulated the artwork over many years. Others are collaborations with the artist themselves such as recent exhibitions of Gongkan and Phannapast Taychamaythakool.

Whether large or small, Thai or international, the gallery will be climate controlled and secure. The exhibition must have a narrative which draws in the public and provides an experience that will entertain, stimulate, inform and surprise. The scenography must be designed and produced to present the artworks in the best light and do justice to the artist’s skill, creativity and passion. Whether multimedia projection and sound of FROM MONET TO KANDINSKY or the photography of Ben Davies’ Vanishing Bangkok, attention to detail is paramount. 

This year will see the inaugural Portrait Prize, the first annual national portraiture competition for artists living and working in Thailand during this twelve months. The jury for the Portrait Prize of THB 500,000 are people of influence drawn from business, media, trade, and advocacy. 

The Packing Room Prize of THB 200,000 is awarded by the gallery staff. 

The seven person Packing Room jury is chaired by River City Bangkok’s Managing Director, Linda Cheng. She is joined by Prapas Intrasorn, Suparak Chumnisarn, Parintra Xuto, Linda Cheng, Toby Lu, Thana Pava and Mananchaya. This team will receive and hang the finalists for RCB Portrait Prize 2021. Once complete, they will choose the painting they feel worthy of the accolade.  Like the main prize, the Packing Room Prize will be announced on Tuesday 14 September, one day before the exhibition is open to the public on Wednesday 15 September.

During the two-month exhibition, visitors will be asked to vote for their favourite portrait. This is the People’s Choice Prize and is worth THB100,000 to the artist. The People’s Choice Prize will be announced on the final day of the exhibition.

River City Bangkok is encouraging all artists, whether it’s your profession or your hobby, Thai or expatriate living in Thailand this year, to submit a portrait painting in the competition. Conditions or entry are detailed here https://rivercitybangkok.com/blog/2021/02/rcb-portrait-prize The Portrait Prize is a ‘blind competition’ open to everyone. From the submissions, 100 finalists will be selected for the exhibition.

To follow the competition and see the artworks and techniques of portrait painters over the centuries and around the world, follow IG: Portraitprize. 
For more information email [email protected]