A Guide To Bangkok’s Art Galleries, Museums, And Cultural Spots For The Curious Explorer
An unofficial tally of Bangkok’s art galleries and museums might leave you with varying figures (some estimates say over 60, FYI). Luckily, we’ve got cultural insider Chomwan Weeraworawit Huang to highlight the must-visit spots if you’re planning a trip to the Thai capital.
By Stephanie Yeap,
The term "multi-hyphenate" barely scratches the surface when it comes to Chomwan Weeraworawit Huang. Bangkok-born and a whirlwind of creativity, she’s the founder and creative director of creative/cultural agency Mysterious Ordinary, the creative director of artisanal clothing behind artisanal brand Philip Huang (yes, named after her Asian-American model husband), and was a co-curator of the Bangkok Art Biennale 2022.
To top it off, she holds a PhD in Law from King’s College London, specialising in Intellectual Property and the Textiles Industry in Developing Countries. This knowledge fuels Philip Huang’s dedication to sustainability and collaboration with Northeast Thai artisans.
Weeraworawit’s impressive roles span art, film, fashion, design, and law, all seamlessly intertwined. Now splitting her time between Bangkok and New York City, we caught up with her for an e-mail Q&A on Bangkok’s most intriguing arts and culture spots.
STANDOUT SPOT FOR CONTEMPORARY ART IN BANGKOK: BANGKOK CITYCITY GALLERY
I love how Bangkok CityCity Gallery nurtures emerging artists while also providing opportunities for more established artists to expand and experiment. Their quality of installations is outstanding, particularly the meticulous care they invest. They have broadened their programming to include publishing, music, and performances. The gallery’s recent off-site project in an old piano school with Tae Parvit and Dusadee Huntrakul was unique, offering artists a chance to exhibit outside the traditional ‘white cube’ gallery space and instead utilise some of Bangkok’s distinctive architectural heritage. Korakrit Arunanondchai’s installation in their gallery a couple of years ago was also a standout.
STANDOUT SPOT FOR CONTEMPORARY ART IN BANGKOK: NOVA CONTEMPORARY
I appreciate how Nova Contemporary seeks out emerging artists, like Thai artist Supawich Weesapen (pictured), and their focus on showcasing Southeast Asian contemporary art.
STANDOUT SPOTS FOR CONTEMPORARY ART IN BANGKOK: JIM THOMPSON ART CENTER & ART CENTRE SILPAKORN UNIVERSITY
For museums, the Jim Thompson Art Center and the Art Centre Silpakorn University (pictured) offer excellent exhibitions. Plus, the grant recipients at Silpakorn is a good places to discover new artists.
A INDEPENDENT ART SPACE: 100 TONSON FOUNDATION
The 100 Tonson Foundation is a non-profit space housed in a building designed by Christian Liagre. It hosts artists for six months at a time and supports projects by artists and curators for up to six months as well. This arrangement gives artists the freedom to conceptualise and exhibit their work, while also providing public events and programming that deepen the dialogue with the public.
A BUZZY ART SPACE: BANGKOK KUNSTHALLE
The newly opened Bangkok Kunsthalle is a fantastic addition to the scene. It occupies a printing factory in Chinatown that was damaged and abandoned after a fire 20 years ago. Artists are invited to create interventions within the space, with each intervention meaningfully transforming an area on-site into an artwork that responds to its physical context and the building's history. As such, the Kunsthalle brings new life to a building with a rich publishing heritage in Thailand.
A BUZZY ART SPACE: SILPA BHIRASRI NATIONAL MUSEUM
The Silpa Bhirasri National Museum is also very exciting, having recently reopened after being closed for two decades. It promises to be another inspiring venue for art and culture in the city, building on its previous contributions to modern and contemporary art.
A HIGHLY ANTICIPATED ART SPACE: DIB BANGKOK
I recently did a hard-hat walkthrough at Dib Bangkok, a new world-class museum, and was incredibly inspired. Founded by the late art collector Petch Osathanugrah, it is set to open in 2025. Just thinking about its potential impact on Bangkok’s visual art ecosystem excites me, especially since the building will be designed by Thai-born, Los Angeles-based architect Kulpat Yantrasast and will house an extraordinary collection of Thai and international art.
A COOL PLACE TO SHOP LOCAL: PAYA
Home decor business Paya is excellent; they source crafts from across the country and offer a made-to-order service. They have been established for years and have a showroom in Sukhumvit where you can purchase crafts from all over the nation.
A COOL PLACE TO SHOP LOCAL: PHILIP HUANG
Of course, there’s also the Philip Huang Showroom in Ruamrudee – a project that I started with my husband six years ago to explore the potential of craft. We present clothing collections, designs, and accessories produced in collaboration with artisans from Northeast Thailand. We work with natural dyes and fibres and also engage in artist collaborations. You can purchase our hand-dyed collections and small gifts. Additionally, we feature the only live indigo dyeing vat in Bangkok and offer indigo dyeing workshops.
A HAVEN FOR STYLE INSPIRATION IN BANGKOK: SOI SA:M
For fashion, I love visiting our friend Shone Puipia’s multi-disciplinary studio, Soi Sa:m. We also collaborate with him for Philip Huang, but witnessing a young talent create the most stunning clothes and accessories at his atelier is truly wonderful.
A HAVEN FOR STYLE INSPIRATION IN BANGKOK: THE WAREHOUSE TALAT NOI
I like the new Warehouse Talat Noi with its raw space, bar, and vintage shops. It demonstrates how an abandoned, unused place can be revitalised with minimal alteration.