taahm
about the artists and TAAHM
About the artists and TAAHM
Throughout 2025 NooN Collective (UK) and Arnont Nongyao (Thailand) have been evolving a new collaborative language, artistic process and ways of working which they call ‘TAAHM’. TAAHM is a phonetic spelling of the Thai word for cave, and sounding it is like the sounding of a drum with a sustained resonance. The artists have been evolving their shared practice through vibration and a deep listening to each other and the worlds they adventure through. They have been inspired by the underground lives of fungi, seeking out connections and possibilities in the dark. Together they have spent time in caves in the UK and Thailand, and in virtual and imagined caves of the internet and their imaginations. They have collected and shared sounds, images and fragments of meaning from these adventures. This process and these materials have formed the basis for live jams - improvised performances online and in real life, sometimes both. Moving beyond words into dark unknown places has given the artists a space ripe with possibility and radical transformation.
This rich collaboration began through About Fungi and Being in the Dark, funded by the British Council's International Collaboration Grants, which are designed to support UK and overseas organisations to collaborate on international arts projects. Connecting artists, cultural and conservation organisations in Thailand and the UK, the collaboration involves NooN cross-disciplinary collective, Arnont Nongyao, Filament Works, Chiang Mai Art Conversation, Art Residency Thailand, Kents Cavern, Wild Planet Trust, English Riviera UNESCO Global Geopark (UK), and Satun UNESCO Global Geopark (Thailand).
artist bios
Ric Byer (NooN Collective, UK) is a multi-instrumentalist and composer from Montreal; and has worked as a multi-instrumentalist (bass, percussion, vocals) and session musician in Asia, North America, and Europe.
As 05Ric, he has created and published music with Gavin Harrison (King Crimson, Porcupine Tree). Ric’s latest recording venture is a collaboration with Nightjar Records, who have supported the first NooN album release on vinyl.
Emilio Mula (NooN Collective, UK) has more than 20 years’ experience as a videographer, animator, vj and visual artist. His work explores aspects of generative art and ways to use sensors as a resource for creating audio visual installations.
Emilio aka Children of Compost works collaboratively across different disciplines to create art experiences that can help people understand and engage with complex and quick changes that our planet and us as a species are going through.
Arnont Nongyao (Thailand) deeply appreciates environmental sounds and investigates the hidden vibrations of all moving entities, creating rhythmic compositions from their movements.
His exploration fuels sound art projects, where he collaborates to build public instruments and leads workshops, allowing everyone to express their unique sounds and fostering connection through shared vibrations.
Clare Parker (NooN Collective, UK) is a socially-engaged dance artist, movement director and producer with 30 years’ experience of makng professional and community dance theatre work. She trained at London Contemporary Dance School and CalArts; and has worked wuth companies and artist including: Frantic Assembly, Richard Alston Dance Company, Northern Ballet Theatre, Balbir Singh, Cie Willi Dorner, Wrestling School / Howard Barker. Clare’ visual art practice blends movement and costume to explore and express our more-than-human relationships. She is also one half of Featherheads & Fungaia (with Sarah Lawrence) playful and reflective visual art and movement installations regularly commissioned for festivals & events.