Big names coming for Bangkok Art Biennale

The inagural Bangkok Art Biennale scheduled for a year from now had global lustre attached to it this week when a string of big names were announced as participants.
The ambitious art extravaganza will showcase the works of Yugoslav Marina Abramovic, Chinese-Frenchman Huang Yong Ping, South Korean Choi Jeong Hwa, Indonesian Heri Dono and Japanese Yoshitomo Nara, along with Thailand’s own Sakarin Krue-On.
Professor Apinan Poshyananda, artistic director of the Bangkok Art Biennale (BAB) 2018, on Thursday at the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre revealed the first 15 names from an anticipated list of 70 artists who will participate.

BAB artistic director Apinan Poshyananda, right, visits Wat Arun with Huang Yong Ping, left, who will mount an installation at Wat Pho. Photo courtesy of BAB 2018

Apinan and his team of curators from across Southeast Asia have asked the 15 artists to explore the theme “Beyond Bliss”. The results will be displayed at various venues around town from October 19, 2018, to February 3, 2019. 
Private firms Thai Bev, Central Group, the operator of Central Embassy, and Siam Piwat – which operates Siam Discovery, Siam Centre and Siam Paragon – have invested Bt150 million for the first three biennials in a bid to promote contemporary art, Thai culture and tourism. 
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration and Tourism Authority of Thailand are also backing the festival, which will be touted as part of “Amazing Thailand Tourism Year 2018”.
More than 70 foreign and Thai artists will show their work in the city’s art centre, galleries and department stores, as well as in unconventional locales such as Lumpini Park.
“The artists will create site-specific works for the Unesco World Heritage sites Wat Pho and Wat Prayoon and the popular tourist destination Wat Arun,” Apinan noted.
“They’re free to interpret the theme of ‘Beyond Bliss’ as they wish. Their work might reflect a cheerful, blissful moment or it could even be critical of developments around the world.”
His team includes Professor Patrick Flores of the University of the Philippines, Adele Tan of the National Gallery Singapore, Bangkok Art and Culture Centre director Luckana Kunavichayanont and Sansern Milindasuta of Bangkok University. 
The team is in consultation with prominent figures at leading institutions such as Japan’s Mori Art Museum, London’s Saatchi Gallery and South Korea’s Sonja Art Centre. 
“With such an experienced team, we expect to see a lot more big-name artists joining BAB 2018,” Apinan said.

Apinan introduces Thai participants Sakarin Krueon, second right, and Sanitas Pradittasnee, far right. Photo courtesy of BAB 2018

Huang Yong Ping will be returning to Thailand to create an installation at Wat Pho. Thai artists Sakarin Krue-On and Sanitas Pradittasnee will also be mounting works there.
Next Tuesday (November 28), South Korean Choi Jeong Hwa will be in Bangkok visiting the site where he plans to erect an artwork and also giving a talk at the Culture Centre. 

Marina Abramovic specialises in the relationships that form between performer and audience. Photo courtesy of BAB 2018

At a later date, the renowned and controversial performance artist Marina Abramovic will begin making arrangements for Thai artists to participate in BAB projects under the auspices of her eponymous institute.
Other artists named in the initial batch of participants include new-wave collectives AES+F from Russia and Art Labor from Vietnam, the Scandinavian duo Elmgreen & Dragset, Frenchwoman Sara Favriau, Turkey’s Canan, Singaporean Ho Tzu Nyen, and Thais Chumpon Apisuk and Kawita Vatanajyankur.