In the framework of its forthcoming 10th anniversary the Heinrich Böll Foundation Southeast Asia Regional Office, Chiang Mai, has taken the opportunity to present some aspects of its current three programs in a series of events during the year 2009.
After two successful events have already taken place, the last event of this series was related to the Myanmar/Burma program and focused on “Contemporary Art in Myanmar/Burma”. We have invited on the 21st of October our partners, scholarship fellows and friends to partake in the 3rd lead-up event at the Foundation’s compound.
Given the complex socio-political situation Burmese contemporary art has flourished on its own terms often reflecting the diverse prevailing realities of the country.   
On this occasion we have invited a Burmese artist - Mr. Kaung Su - to present his modern art works and to directly interact with the visitors. Mr. Kaung Su participated in hbf’s “Artist Exchange Program” to among others hold his first international solo exhibition in Chiang Mai.
After the official welcome Ms. Yasmin C. Rams presented a comprehensive overview of the Burmese modern arts developments, introducing respective local art movements and its representatives, concluding that Myanmar contemporary art on the one hand was inspired by “Western” and “Eastern” styles and media, and on the other hand flourished on its own finding it’s particular Burmese-ish styles. When investigating Burmese contemporary art one will discover that it is enlightening, enthusiastic and fresh.
Following, we took the opportunity to explore Mr. Kaung Su’s artistic concepts and ideas.  The artist displayed four of his art pieces at the event, three from his “Black Face Series” and one landscape. Additionally, he has conceptualized an installation - the “Cosmic Room for Rent”- taking up as central themes a variety of current global issues and beyond.
The vibrant discussions focused on the concept and interpretations of modern Burmese art and the general questions of what constitutes art. Obviously, the viewer sees in art whatever s/he wants and that is exactly what the artist wants it to be. The burden is on the viewer more than it is on the arts’ creator. Additionally, the artist’s inside views reflected the challenges and opportunities that a Burmese artist encounters in a complex working environment.
Finally, the visitors had the opportunity to discover the artistic inner self by painting their own masks. The event closed with the screening of two Yangon Film School documentaries depicting “Art” as its core theme.