Kulapat Yantrasast, a Bangkok-born architect based in California, has gained international recognition for his architectural work on significant museums, including a recent renovation of the Met's Rockefeller Wing. Despite spending limited time in Los Angeles, he draws on diverse cultural influences, likening his design philosophy to Pad Thai, representing a blend of ingredients for a unique experience. His approach emphasizes empathy in museums, seeing them as spaces for cultural exchange rather than exclusivity, reflecting a shift in how art and culture are perceived and experienced within these institutions.
"Culture is always seen as high-end, like sushi. I advocate for cultural Pad Thai, because I feel that the time when culture is defined by one person is obsolete."
"A museum is a site of empathy, a place where you come to understand other people's art. At the Met, you have Chinese tourists seeing African art for the first time in an American museum."
Collection
[
|
...
]