The Purple Line

The idea of trial and error seems to be a relevant inspiration for this particular work; both in the context of Thailand’s newest metro The Purple Line and the craft of this publication. Through observations, I was fascinated by the changing and unchanging urban landscape that the new railway brings to the local districts. Although it conveniently connects Bangkok to a gradually growing province of Nonthaburi, the unsettling cityscape alongside the tracks somehow remains unchanged. I was quite eager, even when it was only within its first year of operation, to learning about its logistic and capability in escorting or guiding new developments and communities into the areas.

My intention behind this project is to create a visual documentation, in a form of photography zine, that records how a cluttering city of Bangkok can take advantage of this new infrastructure, the Purple Line. In this work, I aimed to photograph any possible changes to the urban landscape seen out the train window—how it will soon be filled with bustling urban lives. This project is frankly more about the craft of publication design that drives the narrative beyond photography—with a handcrafted sleeve that covers the zine to reenact the use of smart ticket, and a presentation of black and white photographs to nostalgically recall moments of the past. In about 4-5 years’ time, I will be creating another series of The Purple Line as a comparison of what was, what is and what will be.

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Size: A6 105mm x 148mm
Paper (cover): Matte Art 157gsm
Paper (inner pages): Matte Art 300gsm
Binding: Saddle Stitch, Stapled

Published in 2018
Self-Published
Bangkok, Thailand