Sarawut Chutiwongpeti 1

Davis Lisboa, Sarawut Chutiwongpeti 1, 2012, oil on canvas, 30 × 30 × 3.5 cm (11.8 × 11.8 × 1.38 in).

The initial concept behind “The Paintings Section from Davis Museum Barcelona” was to create a series of portraits as a tribute to the first artists who donated works to the Davis Museum. This piece honors Sarawut Chutiwongpeti, a Thai artist whose multimedia practice engages with themes of spiritual transcendence, social justice, and collective freedom. Inspired by Francis Bacon’s head studies, where distorted figures appear isolated against neutral grounds.

Part of the Gray Period (2011–2016), the painting adopts a square format that reflects the geometry of Davis Museum Barcelona—a miniature cultural institution conceived as a readymade sculpture and nonprofit project officially recognized by the Generalitat de Catalunya. The museum situates itself within a lineage of institutional critique initiated by Duchamp with “Boîte-en-valise”, continued by Filliou with “Galerie légitime”, and further developed by Broodthaers with “Musée d’Art Moderne, Département des Aigles”.