Chiang Rai.

Remember the old clock tower in Chiang Rai? Back when the place was just a sleepy little market town? Well things have changed. Chiang Rai now has a brand new clock tower designed by famous Thai artist Ajarn Chalermchai Khositphiphat in an elaborate Lanna style. Chalermchai’s current incarnation is the creative force behind the famous White Temple or Wat Rong Khun situated just South of Chiang Rai. The temple is an ongoing project begun in 1998 where you’ll also find an exhibition of Chalermchai’s paintings showing a range of work based on Buddhist themes, impermanence, freedom from desire etc. along with more contemporary comments on things like globalization and nuclear war. Well worth a visit.

Apart from the clock tower Chiang Rai now has a new bus station a walking street and of course a Tesco Lotus ....even a Q Bar!. And, great news for cholesterol lovers, the All Day English Breakfast has found it's way up from Pattaya! Now you can enjoy a full range of exotic delicacies like Shepherd's Pie, Bangers and Mash and Beans On Toast while you watch your favourite premier League teams on flat screen TV. Life is change.

Saatchi.

Charlie Saatchi is having a big show of Rolling Stones memorabilia. I’m not really in the mood for it but I go anyway. Mainly because I haven’t seen Charles for a while and I’m curious to see how he worked things out with Nigella since he half-strangled her publicly in a restaurant in Knightsbridge.

The Rolling Stones show is called ‘Exhibitionism’. £17.00 for over 60’s is a bit steep I think so I pretend to be hand delivering a cheque. That does the trick and I find Charles in his office.  He’s quite surprised to see me.
“Ah Dick. I thought you were living in BVI. Back for the Brexit referendum no doubt.”
“Not really Charles. I’m looking for the Zeitgeist.”
“Oh Gawd not another one. I suppose you think I’ve got the bloody thing tucked away in drawer somewhere.”
He asks me what I think of the show.
“Bit too much Jagger/Richards for me Charles. Do they really need more exposure? I’m more interested in Tracey Emin. What’s going on with her these days?”
“She just got married Dick. To a rock.”
“An actual rock?”
“Yes in France.”
He shows me a photograph. It’s true. There she is with her new husband. Another powerful statement from Tracey.
“He looks dependable Charles,” I say.
“Yes. And he doesn’t talk back.”
We talk about all the usual things, art, women, money, ennui. Our chat had been illuminating but he’s not the only gallerist in London. The Zeitgeist can be anywhere and everywhere. I head to Mason’s Yard.
The place that used to be Indica, where John met Yoko, is now the Ongpin  Peppiatt Gallery. I ask the receptionist if she knows about Indica. Oh yes, she says, we get people looking in all the time. Looking for the Zeitgeist would be my guess..
The Scotch of St. James is still going strong and still attracting celebrity clientele.
White Cube has a show of Georg Baselitz. Georg, you may recall, is one of those German artists dealing with the trauma of World War 2. A major theme. So he’s right up there with Gerhard Richter and Anselm Kiefer. Powerful but controlled. Post modern you could say.
Georg also has a low opinion of female artists so it’s interesting to see him alongside some striking work by Tracey Emin. She’s best known for her conceptual work but she can certainly draw. Putting her next to Georg creates a dialogue. Galleries like to do that.
Round the corner I find the Helly Nahmad Gallery. It’s  in St.James Square. A very swanky address. Near Chatham House. Big money behind this. The name came up in the Panama Papers.
What happened there BTW? I thought we were going to get a major expose of offshore banking.  Did the media lose interest? Or were they told to back off?
Too many important people hiding their money would be my guess.
I ask Nahmad what’s going on but he doesn’t want to talk about it. and he shows me the door.
That’s enough art for today. I’ll give Simon a buzz.