Art Everywhere: Take a Tuk-Tuk and Gallery-Hop Through Bangkok

Photo: WTF Gallery and Cafe / Facebook

BANGKOK — Up for a challenge? Head out on a tuk-tuk for two nights of art appreciation at 50 galleries throughout the city.

Gallery-hopping event Galleries’ Night Bangkok returns even bigger this year. This February will see the annual event’s roster expanded to nearly 60 participating galleries and more tuk-tuks shuttling art lovers around town.

The galleries are organized by zone, with most found not far from the BTS Silom and Sukhumvit lines.

The fragility of democracy, censorship, nationalism and other issues faced in two countries – Thailand and Portugal – will be portrayed by More or Less, an exhibition by Portuguese street artist Miguel Januario, known by his moniker Mais Menos. The exhibition will take place at WTF Gallery and Cafe on Soi Sukhumvit 51.

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A sculpture by Mais Menos displayed at WTF Gallery and Cafe

Take a walk on the dark and bizarro side in a radical film patching everything together from a scene ripped from “Mad Max” to Australian mythology for a film that’s a blend of eco-horror, political satire and road movie. “Terror Nullius” was made by an Australian video artist collective called Soda_Jerk. The 55-minute film will show at the Bangkok Screening Room accompanied by a performance from glam singer Gene Kasidit.

The month of love will also see a famous online comic strip about a hetero couple’s relationship exhibited. Illustrated by Pratchaya “Poysian” Mahapauraya, Sundae Kids strips will be shown at an exhibition called This is For You at Yelo House.

A comic strip by Sundae Kids

At Jim Thompson Art Center, get a chance to see “Yuthana and Siripon” (“Yuthana und Siripon Monch uuf Zeit”), a documentary depicting the mid-1960s Thai way of life through the titular couple. The film was made by German director Hans Bertel with help of legendary filmmaker and national artist Thae Prakatwuthisan. The film is wholly narrated in German and will show with English subtitles

A scene from ‘Yuthana und Siripon Monch uuf Zeit’

Every morning for all of 2017, photographer Thamarong Wanarithikul gazed down from a pedestrian bridge and took a photo of workers in the back of pickup trucks. His lives-in-boxes imagery will exhibit in a show called 8 a.m. at Kathmandu Photo Gallery just off lower Silom Road.

A collage of photos taken by Thamarong Wanarithikul to show in his 8 a.m. exhibition.

Many more galleries will be worth checking out. In the Silom and Sathorn areas, Woof Pack, Speedy Grandma, Sathorn 11 Art Space, Jam, Gallery Ver, Bridge and Alliance Francaise will be among just a few opening their doors for the occasion.

Scattered along Sukhumvit Road, check out venues including Rebel Art Space, Galerie Oasis, RMA Studio, Tars Gallery, Tang Contemporary Art and S.A.C. Gallery.

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Every venue offers free admission. Look out for 30 tuk-tuks organized by art collective Liv_id for free rides between the galleries.

Galleries’ Night Bangkok 2019 will run 5am to midnight on Feb. 1 and 2 in several parts of the city. For event schedules at each venue, download the Galleries’ Night application (iOS/Android).

A map showing participating galleries along the BTS Silom Line (blue pins) and Sukhumvit Line (yellow pins).

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