Ancient voices drift through carved stones, displaced souls slumber in silence, technology whispers to awaken them – experimental sound art transforming local wisdom into floating rhythms like Sabaeng flowers falling to distant lands. Kwan Oei Kwan Ma by PLERN VERN, a contemporary sound collective of Pongsak Wansri and Suthipong Sudsang, who reinterpret Isan folk traditions through experimental sound and electronic music. With Si Sa Ket roots and cultural heritage backgrounds, local soul-calling melodies are housed in the stone inscription hall, displaying ancient Khmer temple artifacts at Phimai National Museum. Description by PhimaiLongweek
Kwan Oei Kwan Maa (2025), Phimai National Museum, Nakorn Ratchasima, Thailand.
Since PLERN VERN participated in the Phimai Longweek2nd, we have become deeply invested in exploring our Isan cultural roots, specifically as part of the Khmer ethnic group in the southern Isan region.
The current body of work evolved from the inspiration gathered during our own journeys, which inevitably evoked childhood memories of seeing family members and those around us depart from home. Driven by hope, they left to seek labor opportunities in the capital. This led to the creation of Kwan Oei Kwan Maa (2025)—a work that portrays the experience of being far from home while simultaneously inviting a homecoming through the sounds of the Su Khwan ritual (a soul-calling ceremony), a tradition deeply familiar to those raised in the provinces.
Sutiphong Sudsang 