Hello. This is Machiyama from Monosus Thailand.
This time, we would like to introduce five wonderful galleries that give you the opportunity to experience art in Bangkok.
For me, Thailand has an image of traditional performing arts, but not much of a modern arts image.
When it comes to places where you can experience modern art, large art museums are famous, such as BACC (Bangkok Art & Culture Centre) and MOCA (Bangkok Museum of Contemporary Art).
BACC. Directly connected to the station. Conveniently connected to the fashion building diagonally opposite by an overbridge.
However, it seems that the number of galleries is steadily increasing, and it seems that there are many people who are making a living as artists.
What kinds of galleries are there in Bangkok, and what kind of character does each one have?
First of all, please enjoy this introductory version!
By the way, there is also a free map called "BAM! (Bangkok Art Map)" that compiles information on such art, so if you are a tourist who wants to experience Thai art, we recommend that you get a copy of this first.
RCAC (Ratchadamnoen Contemporary Art Center)
This white wall is temporary, so once it is removed it creates a very spacious area.
This was the first gallery I visited in Bangkok. I heard that the work of a photographer I admire, Narahara Ikko, would be exhibited there, so I immediately went there.
Located a little way from the center of Bangkok, this gallery space looks like a nondescript building from the outside. But as soon as I stepped inside, I was surprised by the height of the ceiling. It has a space of about three floors, and the atmosphere is stylish, as if it was renovated from a former factory.
At the time, 11 of Japan's leading photographers were exhibiting photos full of energy depicting the process of postwar reconstruction in Japan. The first floor tends to exhibit high-quality photos with strong messages.
On the second floor, an architecture competition was being held by Asian students. On the third floor, which I haven't seen yet, there is a museum called the ASEAN Cultural Center that introduces the cultures of ASEAN countries.
This is a gallery that is well worth seeing, with a stylish space and high quality exhibits.
Asian Student Architecture Competition
CityCity Gallery
The owner's cute dog will welcome you.
This minimalist and modern gallery is divided into two white spaces, one large and one small. This gallery seems to have a good sense for catching the latest trends.
The gallery's opening exhibition in August 2015 was " MELO HOUSE ," a solo exhibition by Wisut Ponnimit, also known as "Tam-kun," a Thai cartoonist who is also popular in Japan. The exhibition space was likened to a maze, with his characters, "Mamuang," as the protagonists, and by choosing the right path, there were many different story endings. Apparently, many people entered the maze multiple times, wanting to know what the ending would be.
When I visited the gallery, an artist of a completely different genre was exhibiting. He focused on the condominiums that have been springing up at a tremendous speed in recent years, and attempted to poetically describe the state of Bangkok, which is rapidly modernizing, using photography and poetry.
Since I was a child, I have loved gazing into the distance from my balcony, but I felt sad to see the view from my apartment getting smaller and smaller with the construction of new apartment buildings. People living in Bangkok today may feel something similar.
Someone from the gallery will always come up to you and talk to you and explain the exhibition to you.
Nova Contemporary Art
There weren't many people there yet, so I had the whole place to myself, including the video room on the second floor.
This gallery just opened in April 2016. It is located on the first floor of an apartment building, with an entrance off to the side, but unless you know about it, you probably won't be able to find it due to its secluded location.
The first exhibition, which is a memorable one, is " Today Is The Day: The Proposition Of Our Future ," which is associated with the Miyauchi Arts and Culture Promotion Foundation in Hiroshima. It seems that works with strong messages are often exhibited.
The current exhibition features artworks that depict the scars left by the US military bases that were built in Thailand in the 1960s.
I liked this work, which visualized the artist's memory of crossing the Myanmar border hidden on a boat when he was a child. As I sat on a sofa in a dark space and dozed off, the repeated images were looped endlessly, allowing me to relive the vague, dreamlike work in a nice way.
There was a Japanese pamphlet at the entrance, so I asked if there was any connection to Japan. I was told that the paper used to print the photographs on display this time is Japanese Awa Washi paper. The paper was highly praised for its high quality. This gallery seems to have some kind of connection to Japan. I'd like to keep an eye on its future developments.
Rikyu Boy
This exhibition is a group exhibition of 10 people, including the brother of the staff working at the beauty salon. The next exhibition will be held in Berlin.
The gallery is housed in a stylish beauty salon that was renovated from an old house that is nearly 100 years old. It's a wonderful space where the beauty salon exists as part of the gallery.
When asked why there is a gallery in a beauty salon, the main reason given was "so that the staff can always be exposed to art."
It seems that the staff are always told "Don't become hairdressers," so they go beyond salon work. They are interested in fashion, art, and each other's lifestyles, sharing ideas and enjoying the cross-culture between Japan and Thailand.
There is currently a group exhibition going on, but last time I was there there was a theatre performance.
A solo performance by a female member of a Japanese theater group called Fai Fai. The gallery was likened to a certain girl's room, and the audience was drawn more and more into the story as they listened to the memories filled with the girl's personal belongings.
There is also art on display just behind the shampoo stations.
JAM Factory
The buildings are arranged in a U-shape around a courtyard, with this gallery in the middle.
An old abandoned warehouse was renovated in 2013 by Duangrit Bunnag, a leading Thai architect and designer, and has since become a popular spot for young people interested in subculture. The facility is packed with content, including a bookstore, interior design shop, cafe, and gallery. In the spacious courtyard surrounded by greenery, various events are held day and night.
The event I attended this time was a talk event between a famous young Thai writer and the organizers of the overseas acclaimed theater company "Chelfitsch," to celebrate the publication of a Thai version of a book by Toshiki Okada.
While the tone of Okada's lines is reminiscent of modern youth, his plays often have themes that involve some sort of social situation. At the event, he spoke about the historical background when he wrote this work and the differences between novels and plays.
In theater, words are bound by the body, but in novels there are no such restrictions. Therefore, in the work "Five Days in March," the narrator changes from first person to third person, from a woman to a man, and so on, making it a unique piece. It may be difficult to get into at first, but once you get into the groove, it becomes an interesting piece. It will be performed in Bangkok in March 2017, and I never dreamed I would be able to see Chelfitsch in Bangkok, so I'm looking forward to it.
Another music event day. Various events are being held.
summary
In Bangkok, economic and artistic infrastructure is currently being developed.
That's why I think many people visit Bangkok with the hope of trying something new.
There may still be few opportunities to view films after they have been screened in advance and guaranteed to be good, but I think that's actually a good thing.
I would like to continue to enrich my life in Bangkok while cherishing the environment that I could enjoy before the infrastructure was developed.