KOREA FOUNDATION

ASEAN GALLERY

Thailand,
the Awakening Treasure Trove of Contemporary Art
By _ JeongEun-gyeong, CEO of EK Art Gallery

Among the 10 ASEAN countries, Thailand is the country with the greatest potential in contemporary art. Though it is yet to hold international art fairs, highly sophisticated art worksare exhibited by Bangkok’s Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), art centers, and galleries. The cityis also home to many active artists, but they find it difficult to hold exhibitions due to the limited number of venues.

A significant body of Thai art distinctly embraces the themes of mythology and religion. Since around 95% of the population follows the Buddhist faith, its influence is naturally embedded into paintings. However, younger artists tend to veer away from mythological and religious inspirations, which represents a rapid generational change in the Thai art world. Perhaps it is because Thais are more open to foreigners and foreign culture, or it could be an effort to internationalize their art. Nonetheless, their exhibition spaces and exhibits are becoming very modern and international in form.

A biennale is also held in Bangkok once every two years. The most recent Bangkok Art Biennale took place from October 29, 2020, to January 31, 2021, show casing a variety of exhibits displayed in galleries, public spaces, and landmarks in Bangkok’s city center. The city also hosts an art book fair every year at the Bangkok Citycity Gallery, where booths with Thai designers and small publishers meet consumers. At the Bangkok Art Book Fair, art books, photo books, posters, and souvenirs produced by designers are sold at reasonable prices and are very popular with visitors.