Well, it surely brings people closer to art, and it’s nice to see more places serving as community hubs because art isn’t about just staring at works. But is it merely a fad? We’ll see how committed and professional they are. It’s a shame how art has been steered away from daily life; it began as something intertwined with the Thai lifestyle, like the murals on temple walls. But, be it due to Western influence, or just that we visit temples less often, somewhere along the line art was put on an altar, into galleries and museums, which are not ingrained in the Thai way of living. 

 

 

It’s fun, of course, but that shouldn’t be everything. There’s a lot of new galleries, but not all of them have a strong curatorial focus. Some long-running galleries with entrusted curatorship, like Gallery VER or 100 Tonson, don’t rely too much on visitors; purchases are made without having to physically see the work. I subscribe to Nong [Tawachchai Somkong, editor of Fine Art]’s opinion: artists need to work hard to create good diversity, through strong characters, both in terms of works and venues, while adjusting to meet the market demand. Art is a business, albeit one with a big grey area. 

 

We still need to look at the whole picture; so much can be improved. The fact that very few art graduates become artists these days is a worrying sign. We need to look at the system and help people to work. The support from the government is inadequate, compared to what we see in our neighboring countries. It’s no accident China’s art scene rose onto the world stage. There are more inbound and outbound artist residency programs in Thailand. Cultural and knowledge exchange substantially benefits the scene in a genuine, less superficial way. It makes it easier to get funding, too.

 

I’m not against the idea. The prospect of it is appealing, but it’s never an easy task to do right and consistently. We had the Bangkok Bananas back in 2009, which was a cheeky reply to the idea. But be it biennale, triennale or quinquennale, it will require consistent commitment and dependable collaboration.

HOF Art

Toot Yung Art Center

H Project Space

Speedy Grandma

Thong Lor Art Space Bangkok

Chomp

This creative space takes shelter in a shophouse on Maitree Chit Road, and acts as a treasure trove of documents, books and conceptual works. Initiated by artist Chitti “Joe” Kasemkitvatana, Pratchaya Phinthong and Thakol Khao Sa-ad as the physical space for their publication Messy Sky, the three-story venue now dedicates its space to Mary Pansanga's project space Cloud, which aims to serve as a meeting place for discussion and intervention and recently collaborated with the Bangkok Experimental Film Festival to hold a film master class by Act of Killing director Joshua Oppenheimer. 

 

This new addition to the Bangkok art scene offers a gallery inside a gallery. The Subhashok Art Center just joined forces with Parisian gallery Adler, to become the Adler Subhashok Gallery. It’s boldly setting a revenue target for itself of B100 million in its first year, meaning it’s planning on taking Thai art global and really developing the market the way China did 10 years ago. The opening exhibition gathered some of the biggest names in Thai contemporary art: Lampu Kansanoh, Manit Sriwanichpoom, Michael Shaowanasai, Kittikun Mankit and Katanan Iamchan. It’s such a high-flying roundup, it almost serves as an overview of Thai contemporary art. The collaboration will also potentially see the work of more emerging Thai artists get exhibited over in France. 

 

Modern Gallery, situated right near the front of OP Garden in Charoenkrung, is the brainchild of art collector Ritt Slipsophon, who previously ran 44 Arts Gallery. The setting is pretty traditional. The gallery’s aim to showcase works by both prominent and rising Thai artist means we get to see pieces by Thawan Duchanee, Chalermchai Kositpipat and Angkarn Kalayanapong, alongside emerging artists like Lolay, Cherdwood Sakolaya and Thanakorn. 

 

Rekindling their shared love for design and architecture, the father and son behind Cherubin Chocolate Cafe renovated the building next door as a space for art. Dot Art’s all-white interior is home to the owners’ collection of wood carvings, furniture and ceramics, with occasional guest artists’ exhibition. We’re excited by how it merges a gallery and a hotel in one, allowing you to act as a resident artist for a night or two at its truly boutique two-room hotel. 

 

Speedy Grandma’s Thomas Menard has teamed up with Vincent Sung (Eclectic Lab) to transform this three-storey warehouse, which was a former soy sauce factory near River City into a new art studio. Designed by the founders, it promises a New York industrial-loft vibe with light installations, DJ booths, pop-up bar-cum-kitchen, cyclorama on the second floor and a rooftop view of the canal. This latest Charoenkrung art spot looks set to become host to many gigs and parties. Judging from its recent It's a Bad Idea party by Duck & Noodle, this is one venue sure to pull in an eclectic crowd while keeping things fresh in the local art scene.