This Jan 23-31 sees the return of Buk Ruk Urban Arts Festival, a 10-day project of public wall paintings, art exhibitions, artist talks, animation film screenings and an open-air music festival. This year's event will showcase the work of emerging and established artists from around Asia and Europe. 

Kicking off on Jan 23 with a huge music festival at the docklands by the Chao Phraya River, the opening ceremony features two stages of live music from an eclectic lineup that so far includes local bands Apartment Khunpa, Yellow Fang, Paradise Bangkok Molam Band, Degurada, Gym & Swim, Sirajah Rockers and DJ David Chong. They'll be joined by international acts like of El Guincho (Spain), Alek Et Les Japonaises (Belgium), Dye (France, La Fine Equipe (France), DJ Marine Caillat (France), Dub Addiction (Cambodia) and Kampot Playboys (Cambodia).

But the festival's highlight is its six days of live public wall art painting, where visitors can witness some of the world's most famous street artists light up the walls of Chinatown with their massive art pieces. Expect artwork from Aitch (Romania), Aryz (Spain), Fikos ( Greece), Nychos (Austria), Motomichi Nakamura (Japan), Dan Botlek (Netherlands), Escif (Spain), Kult (Thailand), Daehyun Kim (Korea), Sten and Lex (Italy), Saddo (Romania), Roa (Belgium) and Lolay (Thailand). 

The works of these artists, along with those by Daen Sudkakon (Thailand), Panop Koonwat (Thailand), The Archivist (Thailand), Florence Lucas (France) and Re:Surgo! (Germany), will also be showcased at some of the best art galleries and art spaces in the Bangrak area during the festival, including Bridge Art Space, Serindia Gallery, P.Tendercool, Soy Sauce Factory, Speedy Grandma and Jam Factory.

The festival also promises a night especially dedicated to animation on Jan 30, dubbed "The Night of the Uncanny" where curator Florence Lucas takes over Jam Cafe with a selection of animation films from the United Kingdom, France, Japan, Thailand, Czechoslavakia, Belgium and Yougoslavia. Expect plenty of shifts in reality, hallucinatory visions, sexual obsessions and monsters and celestial creatures in this night-long journey of stop-motion animation. 

For a more hands-on experience, join the animation and printmaking workshops at TCDC (Grand Postal Building), run by Thai artist Panop Koonwat and German artist Re:Surgo! TCDC will also host a night of artist talks from Martha Cooper, Motomichi Nakamura, Re:Surgo!, Florence Lucas, Panop Koonwat, and The Archivist who will be answering questions and sharing stories from their own artistic journeys. 

Check out the video of the festival's 2013 edition to get a glimpse of what's in store. For the full schedule, visit bukruk.com.