Phuket Transforms into Global Art Destination for Thailand Biennale 2025
The Andaman island hosts 65 artists from 25 nations in a five-month exhibition exploring resilience and rebirth under the profound theme, ‘Eternal Kalpa’
- Phuket will host the Thailand Biennale 2025, a five-month international contemporary art exhibition running from late November 2025 to April 2026.
- The event will feature over 65 artists from 25 countries, with works centered on the theme "Eternal Kalpa," exploring resilience, rebirth, and the cycle of creation and destruction.
- The exhibition will showcase site-specific art integrated into more than 20 landmarks across the island, including historic buildings, urban areas, and natural landscapes like beaches and cliffs.
The Andaman island hosts 65 artists from 25 nations in a five-month exhibition exploring resilience and rebirth under the profound theme, ‘Eternal Kalpa’.
Known for its turquoise waters and historic Sino-Portuguese architecture, Phuket is undergoing a significant metamorphosis, launching itself onto the global stage as a World Class Art Destination by hosting the Thailand Biennale, Phuket 2025.
The fourth edition of the international contemporary art exhibition will run for five months, from late November 2025 until April 30, 2026, featuring over 65 established and emerging artists from 25 countries.
The Soul of the Exhibition: Eternal Kalpa
The spiritual and intellectual core of the Biennale is the profound concept, “Eternal Kalpa” (นิรันดร์ [กัลป์]). Rooted in ancient Brahmanism, the theme signifies an immense span of time—the endless cycle of creation, destruction, and rebirth, mirroring the timeless sunset over Promthep Cape.
The international curatorial team, which includes renowned contemporary artist Arin Rungjang and David Teh, conceived the theme as a powerful artistic response to the current global Polycrisis—the convergence of environmental and social turmoil.
The art serves as a crucial medium, inviting audiences to reflect on co-existence and survival.
Artists will explore the compassionate sharing of time and the delicate relationship between humanity and nature, linking local narratives with universal, sustainable concepts.
Site-Specific Art: Breathing with the Island
What distinguishes the Thailand Biennale, Phuket, is its unwavering focus on Site-Specific art—works designed to be in intimate dialogue with their real-world locations.
Visitors will discover masterpieces distributed across more than 20 major landmarks across the island, transforming familiar tourist spots:
Historic Spaces: Old buildings within Phuket Town’s heritage district.
Urban Landscapes: Areas like Saphan Hin.
Natural Wonders: Raw coastal cliffs and pristine white-sand beaches.
Phuket’s selection as host is deeply symbolic. The island’s history of resilience, having overcome natural disasters and global pandemics, perfectly complements the Biennale’s central theme of life cycles and rebirth.
The showcase features diverse mediums, including large-scale Installation Art, Sculpture, Performance Art, and Mixed Media.
These pieces are crafted to blend seamlessly with, or provocatively challenge, the existing environment, offering an experience that transcends mere viewing.
Visitors will instead witness art conversing with the surrounding life and nature, transforming the act of tourism into a deep, new dimension of urban exploration.
An Unmissable Cultural Phenomenon
Organised biennially by the Office of Contemporary Art and Culture (OCAC), Ministry of Culture, the event is known for relocating to a different city each time to boost the cultural capital of various provinces.
Following successful runs in Krabi, Korat, and Chiang Rai, this Phuket edition marks a significant chapter in Thai art history.
Over the five-month period, the island will host exclusive events including public forums, workshops, and learning programmes.
For art enthusiasts, culture seekers, or anyone looking for a unique travel experience, the Thailand Biennale, Phuket 2025 is a must-see calendar event—a rare opportunity to see world-class works in one of the globe's premier resort settings.
