Bangkok Gallery Hopping: 2 Artsy Areas To Visit This December 2019 For 12 Cool Exhibitions

During this last month of 2019, we invite you to visit 2 of Bangkok’s hippest, most happening areas for art: N22 and the Riverside. 

The first is an artist community/art space where lots of local artists hang out. It is the home of more than 5 art galleries which ever-changing exhibitions. How to get there? Take the BTS skytrain to Chong Nonsi Station and hop on the BRT to Thanon Chan. You won’t be disappointed. 

The Riverside, as all of you may know, is one of the most visited places in Bangkok for its world-famous landmarks like the Grand Palace and Wat Arun. But take a boat or ferry down the Chao Phraya with us and discover some of Thailand’s best art galleries. Let’s begin.

N22: 5 Must-See Exhibitions At The “Secret” Art Space

WALLWORKS/NEON SCRAWLS FOR THE CONDOIZED 

By Giles Ryder 

Extended until 10 Dec 2019 at Cartel Artspace near BRT Thanon Chan! 

Sacrifice Chapter 1 "พลีตน"

(Description by Gallery VER)

SACRIFICE is a two-part exhibition, a fanciful reenvisioning of realities on the ground in Southern Thailand. Using storytelling as a primary medium, Samak Kosem probes the narratives, fictions and other constructs that have shaped physical truths, or what is perceived as such.

Sometimes designated as “red zones”, the modern-day provinces of Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat bring to mind images of violence when evoked - flickering fragments once viewed on a screen - that are as quickly forgotten once the topic dropped. Traces of the military occupation, alien to local residents (both human and non-human), nonetheless seep through their everyday existence. Lands and lives may be viewed as sacrificed in this light - buried in our unabated flow of information.

Chapter 1 “พลีตน” - the exhibition’s first installment - is the departure point from which we journey beyond prevailing frames, bringing the multifarious interpretations of sacrifice into question. In Islam, it is a trial of faith; meanwhile, political and military addresses have routinely tied it to the notions of honour and duty. All in all, sacrifices recorded in historical or religious texts and collective memories convey the actions of one person or group - a renouncement for a greater cause that unaccountably omits broader reverberations.

9 Nov to 22 Dec 2019, Wed-Sun from Noon to 6 PM at Gallery VER near BRT Thanon Chan

Under the Rainbow

(Description by Gallery VER)

Ethos, pathos, and logos are the three modes of persuasion. Otherwise known as the artistic proofs in Aristotle’s rhetorical theory, they resonate throughout the Yujin Lee’s solo exhibition, ‘Under the Rainbow’, which hypothesizes art and the artist’s role as a mediator between knowledge and understanding. 

The artist, the public, and the community is gathered ‘Under the Rainbow’. In the end… what is gained and lost in this endeavor to reduce the inevitable gap between individuals, societies, and the countless cosmos?

9 Nov to 22 Dec 2019, Wed-Sun from Noon to 6 PM at Gallery VER near BRT Thanon Chan

Hypnotize by Sornchai Phongsa

The artist will present 5 recent works including 3 paintings on Lua fabric, 1 drawing on paper and an installation piece consisting of string & terracotta.

Sornchai developed his artistic identity from his interest in ethnic diversity. His works reflect the relationships between humans, their beliefs and community through the distinctive presence of local materials in installation art and painting. In Hypnotize, Sornchai revisits his long-standing fascination between human behaviour and ‘invisible identities’, specifically the relationship between animistic beliefs and the ethnic traditions of the Lua people – an ethnic Thai group in which the artist belongs to.

In this body of works, Sornchai critically examines the Lua’s spiritual belief system, called Lua’s Spirits Totem, and how they inhabited the physical realm. It is the belief within this system that males are regarded as the gatekeepers of the faith and venerated defenders of cultural heritage. In Hypnotize, Sornchai seeks to disrupt this old system of belief that has controlled the hearts and minds of the Lua people, through his critical juxtaposition of the prideful male and spectacle of theatrics, to legitimize their social standing in the community.

The series’ flesh colour palette draws reference to a Buddhist folklore where Lord Buddha saved a village from meat hungry giants by striking an agreement between them; that buffalos will be offered to the giants as meat sacrifice by the villagers. At its core, Lua’s Spirit Totem is an amalgamation of Animism and Buddhism, and the buffalo sacrifice represents the compromise between both sets of belief system. Through these works, Sornchai seeks to understand the myth and unpack the moral implications of long-held traditions within contemporary society.

16 Nov to 6 Dec 2019 at Richard Koh Projects, N22 Art Warehouse near BRT Thanon Chan

Shape of Relationship 

A solo exhibition by Thai female artist Sita Inyai, exploring the natural law of balance through the creation of 11 artwork in a variety of media from wire weaving, drawing, crocheting, painting, and embroidery.

16 Nov 2019 to 15 Jan 2020, Tues-Sat from 10 AM to 7 PM at La Lanta Fine Art near BRT Thanon Chan

Art By The River: 7 Exhibitions Across 4 Galleries On The Chao Phraya Riverside

Encode 

(Description by Bridge Art Space)

Julie Weitz presents an ongoing investigation of the writings and life of cyber pioneer Carmen Hermosillo, also known as Humdog. A network of phantom limbs made from molds of the artist’s hands are linked together by metal chains, a mouth emerges from darkness oozing white foam; a phallus made of wax rotates in blinking neon and a plaster bust of the goddess Athena radiates pink light from her eyes: Weitz's imagery permeates a palpable, erotic terror.

Leo Porramet Jittaksa addresses the rights of the LGBTQ community in Thailand through installation art and photography. Investigating the lengths individuals will go to conceal who they are in order to gain acceptance and the same opportunities as others, Leo works with flowers that both reveal their true colors while simultaneously protecting themselves from a society that may be unable to accept them fully.

2 Nov to 18 Dec 2019, Wed-Mon from 1-7.30 PM at Bridge Art Space near BTS Saphan Taksin

The Image of the Buddha by Rachata Siriyakul

(Description by Serindia Gallery)

In contemporary art, few painters broke outside regional and national conventions when depicting the Buddha image. Rachata Siriyakul (b. 1993), a Thai artist, a graduate of Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts and pupil of the famed Norwegian painter Odd Nerdrum, gave new stylistic interpretations of the Buddha image and life stories, welcoming new dimensions to this genre while rooting in his training of classical painting. The result is this new exhibition, THE IMAGE OF THE BUDDHA, as part of Serindia Gallery’s 10th anniversary, and a tribute to one of the very first books Serindia Publications was known for.

14 Nov 2019 to 12 Jan 2020, Tues-Sat from 11 AM to 7 PM at Serindia Gallery near BTS Saphan Taksin

M3zzotint

(Description by River City Bangkok)

Curated by Oya Aydin, M3ZZOTINT (mezzo-tint) showcases picturesque and sentimental printworks of the three Thai artists: Kraisak, Wal, and Kit Chirachaisakul. 

Mezzotint is a print made from an engraved copper or steel plate on which the surface has been partially roughened, for shading and partially scraped smooth, giving light areas. The technique was widely used in 17th-19th century which allows the creation of prints with soft gradations of tone and rich and velvety tones without using line or dot based techniques like hatching, cross-hatching or stipple, therefore it was used for the reproduction of famous paintings in the early 17th century.

- Oya Aydin, the curator

14 Nov to 14 Dec 2019, everyday from 10 AM to 8/9 PM at River City Bangkok near Si Phraya Ferry Pier

Mi Qiaoming: Layers of Tranquility 

Young artist Mi Qiaoming studied abroad in Russia, and she received her Ph.D. from the Repin Art Institute. Her long formal education laid the foundation for her realist oil painting skills. After she returned to China, she attempted to explore the fusion of Western oil painting and Chinese ink painting, slowly establishing her personal style. This exhibition will present three series: Buddhist Charms and Auspicious Images, New Peking Opera, and Southern River Town.

(Description by River City Bangkok)

14 Nov 14 Dec 2019, everyday from 10 AM to 8/9 PM at River City Bangkok near Si Phraya Ferry Pier

181° New Dimensions of Nature Landscapes

Japanese photographer Yoshiki Hase’s first solo exhibition in Bangkok

Born in Kawasaki city, Japan, Hase was based in New York until 2007 and currently resides in Tokyo. The major awards Hase has received include “Winner of Single Image - DALI International Photography Exhibition” (2019, with the series 181°). “LensCulture Emerging Talent Awards” (2018, with the series ENA), KLOMPCHING Gallery (2018, New York). United Photo Industries (2017, New York) , T3 Photo Festival Tokyo (2017, Tokyo), “Tokyo International Photography Competition” (2016, with the series First Composition), and He presented the series at the competition winners’ exhibitions at Singapore International Photography Festival (2016, Singapore)

21 Nov 2019 to 2 Jan 2020, every day from 10 AM to 8/9 PM at River City Bangkok near Si Phraya Ferry Pier

Yestertodaymorrow 

(Description by River City Bangkok)

Kantapon Metheekul, the artist known as Gongkan, lives between Bangkok and New York. His signature work - “Teleport” – conveys a subtle meaning and brings a newly found dimension. River City is proud to present Gongkan’s latest and largest exhibition so far in his prolific career. Peer into the sentimental diary of his private life.

21 Nov 2019 to 9 Jan 2020, everyday from 10 AM to 8/9 PM at River City Bangkok near Si Phraya Ferry Pier 

Unloveable 

(Description adapted from the work of the talented Noraset Vaisayakul)

Using a variety of presentations, including installations, video works and sculptures, Kata Sangkhae’s art deals with a radical paradigm and fiercely questions authority. But his work still embodies beauty, the visual element that attracts us to search for meaning. The artist’s questions can be likened to a metal rod hidden inside a pillow, then slammed into the face of the authority figure. Finally, when interpreting his art more seriously, we are hit with a heavy question: In love and relationships, who actually are the people controlling us?

30 Nov 2019 to 12 Jan 2020, Sat-Sun from 1-7 PM at 1PROJECTS near Si Phraya Ferry Pier

Bonus: 2 Art Exhibitions That Are Worth A Detour This December 2019 

Unspoken Truths by Hélène Le Chatelier

(Description by Alliance Française de Bangkok)

In this age of migration and globalization overwhelmed by a constant flow of data, where human relationships are caught between our irreconcilable needs for both security and freedom, Unspoken Truths expose the volatility, the fragility and the liquid aspect of human bonds, even with oneself. Through this exhibition, French artist Hélène Le Chatelier questions the intimacies of our time. She probes the place of silence and introspection, the place of physical contacts in a world where boundaries between skin and screen become blurry.

26 Nov 2019 to 9 Jan 2020, everyday from 8 AM to 7 PM at Alliance Française de Bangkok near BTS Phloen Chit

A Convenient Sunset | A Convenient Holdup

(Description by BANGKOK CITYCITY GALLERY)

In Miti Ruangkritya’s new exhibition, the bright, crisp, hyper-vivid images of near-identical 7-Eleven stores taken during the golden hour arrive with an unlikely soulmate: a set of rough, grainy, pixelated CCTV screengrabs documenting robbery attempts of 7-Eleven stores by helmeted desperadoes, knife-wielding petty thieves or armed and hooded muggers.

At once precise and dreamy, placid and absurd, inviting and eerie, A CONVENIENT SUNSET | A CONVENIENT HOLDUP teases our expectations, provokes interpretation, and above all hints at the inevitability of chaos even in the environment as controlled and manufactured as those brightly-lit stores frequented by almost every Thai every day.

30 Nov 2019 to 19 Jan 2020, Wed-Sun from 1-7 PM at BANGKOK CITYCITY GALLERY near MRT Lumphini