ART4D SELECTED 7 ARTWORKS THAT CONFORM WITH THE THEME OF ‘NURTURE GAIA’ OF THIS YEAR’S BANGKOK ART BIENNALE 2024, HIGHLIGHTING THE TOPICS OF NATURE, FEMININITY, ECOLOGY, AND MORE
TEXT: TUNYAPORN HONGTONG
PHOTO: KETSIREE WONGWAN
(For Thai, press here)
The international contemporary art festival, Bangkok Art Biennale (BAB), is now in its fourth edition. This year, alongside more than 200 artworks from 76 artists displayed across Bangkok, four of the eleven venues are hosting BAB for the very first time. Must-visit spots include the National Museum and the National Gallery, while the newly launched One Bangkok presents exhibitions both outdoors and indoors (though access to the latter can be a bit challenging).
This year’s BAB includes a number of compelling works. However, art4d has chosen to spotlight seven pieces that explore subjects about nature, femininity, ecology, and more—reflecting this edition’s central theme, “Nurture Gaia.”
‘It is, It isn’t’ (2023-2024)
Tony Cragg
Venue: One Bangkok Park
This polished stainless steel sculpture by Tony Cragg stands 7.8 meters tall. Seen from a distance, it resembles a stack of stones layered over time by wind and water erosion. This impression reflects a distinctive feature of Cragg’s art, which often takes inspiration from natural structures while employing industrial materials—such as stainless steel—that are in stark contrast to nature.
Up close, however, ‘It is, It isn’t’ reveals something more: layered forms that intertwine to suggest multiple faces emerging and merging as you move around it. Its reflective surface captures not just our own images but also those of passersby, nearby trees, and the towering buildings of One Bangkok Park. These shifting reflections created as visitors move through the space invite endless narratives, exploring the intricate relationship between the natural world and the one constructed by humankind.
What we love most is that despite being made from resilient stainless steel, the sculpture’s sinuous shapes appear as though they might ripple and move like living organisms in nature. It’s a reminder that in the creative process, even the toughest of materials—like stainless steel—must first be melted and set in motion.
‘It is, It isn’t’ is a permanent installation at One Bangkok Park, so visitors are welcomed to experience even after BAB 2024 has come to an end.
‘A Conversation with a Potter’ (2024)
Pim Sudhikam
Venue: The Storeys, 2nd Floor, One Bangkok
The first section of Pim Sudhikam’s exhibition feels like stepping into an ancient artifact museum. From the meticulous arrangement of the pieces to the lighting, and even a skeletal figure embracing a three-legged pot, the entire setup evokes an archaeological discovery. These three-legged pots, found in both Western and Southern Thailand, are prehistoric vessels believed to have originated in China. They were traditionally used as ritual offerings, buried alongside the deceased to signify their social status.
Of course, the three-legged pot on display here is a new creation by Pim, but one element in this body of work may have traveled through time just as much as the relics of the past – the ‘earth’ itself. The clay used to shape these pieces was excavated from deep underground, sourced from construction sites of large-scale real estate developments in Bangkok—likely including One Bangkok, where this exhibition is housed. In keeping with ancient techniques, Pim hand-shaped the clay without the use of tools, applying no glaze or painted decorations, staying true to the constraints of prehistoric pottery-making.
The use of soil from these construction sites opens up fascinating interpretations. The push toward an urban future, defined by ever-taller skyscrapers, paradoxically requires digging deep into the past. This concept is echoed in another series of works, also made of clay but rendered in contemporary forms. Arranged in precise rows, the sheer number of pieces evokes archaeological excavations, where unearthed artifacts are carefully cataloged and displayed. At the same time, their structured repetition suggests a mechanical assembly of industrial gears.
‘Mapping the Land Body Stories of its Past’ (2021)
Bagus Pandega & Kei Imazu
Venue: Bangkok Art and Culture Centre
Indonesia’s deforestation crisis ranks among the worst in the world, driven primarily by large-scale forest clearing for palm oil plantations across Sumatra, Papua, and Kalimantan. Street artist Ernest Zacharevic has previously tackled this issue through art, launching a striking project where he and his team strategically cut down sections of palm trees in Sumatra. The result? From an aerial view, the cleared land spelled out SOS—a distress signal warning of the environmental catastrophe unfolding below.
While Bagus and Kei’s contribution to BAB doesn’t employ such grand-scale interventions, it is no less powerful. Their piece—previously recognized under the title ‘Artificial Green by Nature Green’—is a large-scale painting of Indonesia’s lush forests, created stroke by stroke using a mechanized paintbrush. But once the painting is complete, the machine releases a stream of water, washing away the entire image until only a blank canvas remains. Then, the process begins again. This endless cycle serves as a haunting metaphor for nature’s exploitation under industrial forces. Adding another layer of depth, the machine’s movement is powered by bio-electricity sourced from a single palm tree placed beside the artwork. It’s a quiet but profound reminder that everything we rely on ultimately traces back to nature itself.
‘A Spoon Made from the Land’ (2009) / ‘Infinity Mirage’ (2021/2023-present) / ‘Anne and Anne’s Sculpture’ (2012)
Mai Yamashita + Naoto Kobayashi
Venue: Bangkok Art and Culture Centre
Inside the gallery space showcasing Mai and Naoto’s work, a striking installation features a massive mound of sand with a single spoon planted at its peak. This is their first piece for BAB, titled ‘A Spoon Made from Land’—a project in which they collected iron sand from Ioka Beach in Chiba, extracted the iron, and forged a single spoon from the refined material.
The room also houses two video installations. The first, Infinity Mirage, involved placing an ‘m’-shaped symbol above the Iguchi coastal levee in Toyama Prefecture, a location known for optical illusions created by light refraction. Using a super telephoto camera, they filmed this ‘m’ symbol from Uozu—8 kilometers away—and livestreamed the footage on their website for viewers worldwide. The idea was that, at certain moments, atmospheric refraction might transform the ‘m’ into an infinity sign (∞) hovering above the horizon. However, the exact nature and timing of such a transformation remain unpredictable, dictated entirely by natural forces.
Mai and Naoto’s work is deeply tied to site-specific natural phenomena across Japan, highlighting the relationship between nature and human intervention, between nature and everyday objects, and the inherent unpredictability of natural forces—outcomes beyond human control. Another piece that encapsulates this uncertainty is ‘Anne and Anne’s Sculpture’, in which they carved a wooden sculpture of their dog, Anne, and gave it to her to gnaw on. As Anne chewed, the sculpture’s form was gradually altered, reduced, and reshaped, creating an evolving artwork whose final state was left entirely to chance.
‘Golden Girl’ (2024), ‘Breathing’
Choi Jeong-Hwa
Venue: Bangkok Art and Culture Centre
Choi Jeong-Hwa is no stranger to BAB, having added a splash of vibrancy to the festival since its inaugural edition in 2018. His past contributions, such as ‘Breathing Flower’ (2016), ‘Love Me Pig’ (2013), and ‘Fruit Tree’ (2017), have all been inflatable sculptures—a signature of Jeong-Hwa’s artistic practice. This year, he returns with yet another series of inflatables, including ‘Golden Girl’ (2024), which seems tailor-made for this edition’s Nature Gaia theme. The golden, winged figure—part angel, part goddess—hovers grandly from the ceiling of the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre (BACC).
However, the highlight for us is his ‘Breathing Series’. This time, in addition to the iconic, moveable giant lotus installed on BACC’s front plaza, Jeong-Hwa has introduced giant inflatable fruits and vegetables that resemble wobbling roly-poly toys. These two works create a unique interaction with the audience, effortlessly engaging even those who might not typically be art enthusiasts. While the inflatable fruits and vegetables draw an endless stream of visitors posing for photos, the giant lotus has become a favorite plaything for children, tourists and local kids alike.
Jeong-Hwa’s art often reflects the fleeting, fast-paced nature of urban life. His inflatable sculptures, with their ephemeral charm, embody the temporary happiness they inspire—like the brief joy of snapping a photo, sharing it on social media, and moving on.
‘The Thick of Time’ (2010-ongoing)
Chitra Ganesh
Venue: The National Gallery
The National Gallery of Thailand is one of three new venues debuting in this edition of BAB. While the gallery itself is a familiar space, the presence of works by international artists this year gives it a fresh and unexpected energy.
One of the standout installations is ‘The Thick of Time’ by Chitra Ganesh, housed in one of the gallery spaces. The floor is covered in a black-and-white grid pattern, the walls painted green, and large-scale prints reminiscent of Marvel comic book illustrations line the room. Each image features a female protagonist, blending diverse cultural references with surrealist elements.
‘The Thick of Time’ is a project Chitra has been developing over the past 12 years. It originally took inspiration from Amar Chitra Katha, a series of Indian children’s comics first published in the 1960s, aimed at educating young readers on Indian history, religion, and mythology. But like many mainstream textbooks and media across Asia, these comics were overwhelmingly male-centered, filled with heroic battles and conclusive victories. Good and evil were drawn in stark contrast—despite the fact that, in reality, the world is far more nuanced than black and white. Chitra responded by reimagining these narratives in her own version, where women take center stage. Her protagonists often exist in moments of transition, reflecting their inner desires and struggles. Crucially, she does not dictate what is right or wrong; her work is less about definitive statements and more about posing questions. Above all, her art is visually exhilarating, packed with cultural symbolism and pop culture references—a natural reflection of her own identity as a New York-born artist of Indian descent.
‘Fish, Fire, Fallout’ (2024)
Nakrob Moonmanus
Venue: Siwamokkhaphiman Hall, National Museum Bangkok
At BAB 2024, Nakrob presents three works: ‘Our Place in Their World’ (2023–2024), a collaboration with Chitti Kasemkitvatana; ‘La, in the Trapeziums’ (2024), or ‘Rahu, Loka, Khang Moo’, a video installation exhibited at Wat Pho Temple; and the piece we’d like to highlight—’Fish, Fire, Fallout’ (2024), known in Thai by the evocative title ‘Sitandon Sandap’ (The Abyssal Ocean Combustion).
At first glance, ‘Fish, Fire, Fallout’’ may not immediately resemble the collages typically associated with Nakrob’s practice. Instead, it unfolds as a mixed-media composition that blends sculpture, video, and digital prints. Yet, at its core, it remains a collage—one that assembles fragments of history, mythology, political poetry, and environmental discourse. At the heart of the piece are seven sculpted fish, inspired by King Rama V’s writings about the giant fish that once inhabited the ponds of Wang Na Palace—now Siwamokkhaphiman Hall, the very site where this work is displayed.
Nakrob further extends this motif to the painted doors of Isara Vinijchai Hall, which depict fish swimming upstream, leaping over the dragon gate, and transforming into dragonfish. Environmental concerns surface through a video featuring M.L. Kwantip Devakula, a renowned Thai chef, demonstrating how to fry blackchin tilapia. Interwoven with this are haunting visuals from Traiphum Phra Ruang (Three Worlds of Phra Ruang), an ancient text that foretells the end of the world. The work also incorporates text—etched onto the glass display case—sourced from classical literature, the Li Heu fish legend in the Traiphum, environmental news reports, and poetry about the violent events of October 14, 1973, and October 6, 1976, which unfolded in the same vicinity where this installation now stands.
‘Fish, Fire, Fallout’ is on display at the National Museum Bangkok, One of BAB’s newly added venues this year. What makes this presentation especially compelling is the museum’s decision to lend artifacts from its collection, allowing them to be exhibited alongside contemporary works—a juxtaposition that sparks a powerful dialogue between past and present.
For those who want to experience these works firsthand, the Bangkok Art Biennale (BAB) will be running until February 25, 2025. Stay updated with news and event schedules at bkkartbiennale.com or fb.com/bkkartbiennale.