Archiving Bangkok’s lost 1970s erotica stash

In the summer of 2014, the streets of Bangkok’s Chinatown played host to a throbbing mass of knickknacks, books, furniture and people, all on the hunt for that treasure chest find at the now-closed Thieves Market. Visual artist and publisher Tiane Doan na Champassak was deep amongst the throng of it, adding to his collection of vintage Thai adult magazines. Coming across a stack of scrapbooks neglected on a heap of old furniture at one of his go-to seller’s stores, the French native couldn’t help but be intrigued. He discovered that they were constructed by a Dr. Preecha when he was a University student: “ The story is that he was so obsessed with his collection of magazine cut-outs that his bed collapsed,” recalls Champassak.

The archived images are a collection of newspaper and catalogue cut outs, torn at their borders and collaged together, all of which Champassak has carefully pieced back together for his new book OVR SXE DSIR. “I knew I was holding a little treasure. Publishing this book seemed important to me as it represents the spirit of outsider art, so raw, so honest and free from any artistic ambition,” says Champassak. “This is a trace of a period when adult magazines were highly censored in Thailand which gives the project historical value. But most importantly, it was the combination of 'graphic design' and aging of the scrapbooks/photos that fascinated me most and pushed me to reproduce these albums in book form.” With the book going on sale this weekend at Offprint London, with just 25 copies up for grabs, Champassak gives us an exclusive glimpse into his archive here.

OVR SXE DSIR will be available from the Siam's Guy Books stall at Offprint London this weekend, hosted by the Tate Modern