Returning for its fourth edition this October, the Bangkok Art Biennale is delighted to announce 30 additional international artists, three more venues and two more international advisors for the Bangkok Art Biennale (BAB), titled Nurture Gaia. The expansion of artists and venues further enriches the city-wide event and continues to spotlight Southeast Asia’s vibrant art scene while also bringing diverse international perspectives to the continent. The various Biennale-host locations include ancient heritage sites such as the Temple of the Reclining Buddha and the Temple of Dawn, the Museum Siam, art galleries, and a new sustainability-driven development for the city, spanning 183 hectares and encompassing spaces for work, living and retail, One Bangkok. Running from 24 October 2024 to 25 February 2025, the Biennale will showcase 45 leading artists across nine venues.
Nurture Gaia draws its inspiration from the maternal figure of Mother Earth, symbolising her historical expressions as a nurturer and giver of life across cultures. Conceptually extending upon this, the Bangkok Art Biennale will explore vital contemporary themes such as anthropology, collectivism, ecology, feminism, and the politics of time and place. The ‘Gaia Hypothesis’ proposes that the Earth functions like a living organism that supports life across organic and inorganic matter. Today, we face urgent issues such as climate change, pandemics, war, and environmental destruction caused by humans. There is a growing realisation that humanity, as an integral part of Earth, is facing critical challenges.
The Biennale will feature a constellation of artworks, many of which will be on display for the first time, including drawings, paintings, sculptures, videos, and installations from established and emerging artists and collectives such as Adel Abdessemed (Algeria-France), Chiara Camoni (Italy), Susan Collins (UK), Priyageetha Dia (Singapore), Guerreiro do Divino Amor (Switzerland-Brazil), Camille Henrot (France-USA), Choi Jeong Hwa (South Korea), Chitra Ganesh (USA), AKI INOMATA(Japan), Elmgreen & Dragset (Denmark and Norway), Isaac Chong Wai (Hong Kong-Berlin), and Lisa Reihana (New Zealand), among others.
Programme highlights during the Vernissage week also include a series of artist performances and symposiums, such as performances by artist Kira O’Reilly (Finland-Ireland), whose work explores the experiences of menopause, and Amanda Coogan (Ireland), who spotlights the marginalised community of sign language users, representing a linguistic minority on a global stage. Isaac Chong Wai will present a video installation representing an ongoing investigation about collective bodies; Elmgreen & Dragsetwill showcase a philosophical sculpture; and a series of installations will be displayed at various venues across the biennale by artist Choi Jeong Hwa.
International artists on display at the Biennale, organised in collaboration with the Thai Beverage Public Company Limited (ThaiBev), will include those hailing from countries including Algeria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Congo, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Laos, Montenegro, New Zealand, Norway, The Philippines, Russia, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland, Thailand, the UK and the USA.
The addition of two distinguished international advisors, Jean-Hubert Martin and Qiu Zhijie, enhances its panel. Their appointments bring our panel of esteemed advisors to a total of seven prominent figures in the art world: Marina Abramović, world-renowned performance artist; Lito Camacho, Chairman, University of the Arts Singapore; Kim Camacho, art collector; Mami Kataoka, Director of Mori Art Museum; Jean-Hubert Martin, honorary director of the Musée National d'Art Moderne at the Centre Georges Pompidou; Qiu Zhijie, Artist, Curator, Writer, President of the Tianjin Academy of Fine Arts and Professor at Central Academy of Fine Arts; and Dr. Eugene Tan, Director of the National Gallery Singapore and the Singapore Art Museum.
Led by Prof. Dr. Apinan Poshyananda, Chief Executive and Artistic Director of Bangkok Art Biennale (BAB), the dedicated curatorial team for this year’s edition includes Pojai Akratanakul, curator and curatorial section lead of BAB; Dr. Brian Curtin, art critic and educator; Akiko Miki, International Artistic Director of Benesse Art Site Naoshima and curator; and Dr. Paramaporn Sirikulchayanont, lecturer and former Director of the Art Centre of Silpakorn University, Bangkok.
Pojai Akratanakul comments:
“'Nurture Gaia' evokes contemplative qualities, and also urges us to confront real-world challenges and contemporary issues. "Care" is a fundamental human instinct, yet the word itself carries nuanced meanings. It prompts us to reflect on our responses to our surroundings, our relationships, and our interconnectedness, while at the same time revealing the extent to which care can manifest as control, both over our bodies and the environment we inhabit.”
Dr. Brian Curtin comments:
"The artists in this edition of BAB offer a gentle engagement with the earth - nature itself and the populations that occupy it. Their works provoke our curiosity about overlooked rhythms, sounds, views, and relationships in order to encourage a humbled sense of who we are and how we relatively exist. But BAB 2024 is not without its sharper moments, occasionally offering visceral wake-up calls to the increasing intensity of the world's problems."
BAB spans across various venues over a period of 4 months and helps transform the bustling city of Bangkok into a lively hub that celebrates art, creativity, and culture.