Photography by Prasit Kongdang

Do you feel like a kid trapped in a maze, or perhaps like a tourist in Japan, when you go to an art gallery? The art world scares some of us to the point that we forget about all the creativity and beauty that goes into it. But there’s no need to be afraid—or intimidated. Artists are not aliens and galleries aren’t castles in the sky. To help put you at ease, BK has enlisted the services of a group of

influential players, up-and-comers and groundbreaking personalities to help us better understand the local art scene. So the next time you’re browsing through our weekly list of exhibitions, you’ll find it easier to identify which ones might appeal to you.

Behind the art scene

One person with particular significance in the Thai contemporary art scene is Gridthiya Gaweewong, a curator who is best known as a founder of Project 304, along with her friends and co-founders like Apichatpong Weerasthakul and Michael Shaowanasai. Together, they turned Gridthiya’s apartment into a laboratory for eccentric artists, and while Project 304 currently possesses no permanent space, the movement has continued. Gridthiya has climbed the art ladder to the top and is now the artistic director at Jim Thompson Art Center. We spoke to her in her office on Soi Kasemsan 2 and visited the exhibition center next door.

PAINT YOURSELF

I had never worked in a full-time position before Jim Thompson. I’m not married to the center, though. Being a curator is a science; you need to know art history and have specialized knowledge. Mine is contemporary art; when it comes to traditional art, I’m at a loss.

ART IS?

Regardless of its form, art is and will be the only thing left standing in history from humanity. Brick and concrete will eventually be gone, but art will remain to display the greatness of human achievement, like the cave art at Pha Taem. I’m drawn to people who change history. One of the Thai artists who has defied the world’s art history is Rirkrit Tiravanija. He’s debunked all the theories, Dada or whatever, and he has succeeded and gained acceptance worldwide.

RECOMMENDED SPACES?

Jim Thompson Art Center has a great location and people have a different kind of experience when they come here. If you go to the museum, you’ll see history and antique collections. The art center has shows that meet an international standard; you don’t see many exhibitions of this quality in Thailand. We are funded by the foundation, so we can afford to be non-commercial. The new William Warren Library is also free and we want Thai people to come. You can come to read—it’s like a Starbucks with free wifi, except without the coffee.

If there is one university that loves and cares about contemporary art, it’s Bangkok University Gallery. They always promote young artists. The new space they moved into is a bit hard to get to but has a very nice atmosphere. The white-box building is great; it serves well as a gallery because it’s not architecturally showy but instead accentuates the works of the exhibited artists. A good art space has to be like that, very neutral. There’s only natural light there and it’s very bright, which can actually be a challenge for curators or exhibition designers when they want to show art which requires darkness.

I also like the Chulalongkorn University Art Center. At first glance, it seems like they put the gallery in the wrong place—on the seventh floor of the library building, requiring visitors to pass through strict security. But once you get there, it seems completely separated from the busy library downstairs. The room here is also a challenge for curators because the corners and angles are strange; it’s not really rectangular. It’s fun to do an exhibition design there, and at night the balcony view is breathtaking.