Bangkok Art Biennale 2024: A Global Confluence of Art, Identity, and Cultural Dialogue by Prabuddha Ghosh

Bangkok Art Biennale 2024: A Global Confluence of Art, Identity, and Cultural Dialogue

by Prabuddha Ghosh

The fourth edition of the Bangkok Art Biennale (BAB) is just concluded across Bangkok on last February,  2025, under the theme “Nurture Gaia” or “Raksa Gaya” in Thai, which emphasized Mother Earth as a nurturing life force. Drawing on the concept that Earth functions as a living organism supporting life through organic and inorganic matter, this Biennale focused on the urgent challenges humanity faces, including climate change, pandemics, war, and environmental degradation, emphasizing our role in addressing these crises.

The Bangkok Art Biennale 2024 featured 76 prominent artists from 39 countries, with exhibits spread across 11 venues along two primary routes: the River Route and the City Route. The River Route included historical and cultural sites such as Wat Arun (Temple of Dawn), Wat Pho (Temple of the Reclining Buddha), Wat Prayoon, Wat Bowonniwetwiharn, Museum Siam, the National Gallery of Thailand, and more. The City Route encompassed venues like the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre (BACC), One Bangkok, Queen Sirikit National Convention Center, and CentralWorld.

The Biennale showcased a wide range of art forms, including performance art, photography, installations, and sculptures. Themes addressed spanned from ethnic identity, societal marginalization, and labor conditions to human adaptation, motherhood, and the human psyche. These works explored the tensions between contemporary art and traditional practices, offering new perspectives on vanishing knowledge and cultural heritage.

Professor Dr. Apinan Poshyananda, the Chief Executive and Artistic Director of BAB, explained that the theme, "Nurture Gaia," was inspired by the Greek goddess Gaia, representing healing and care, aligning with the previous Biennale’s theme of "Chaos Calm." Highlights included Siwamokkhaphiman Hall, where approximately 100 artifacts from Thailand’s National Museum were exhibited alongside international contemporary works, thanks to collaboration with the Department of Fine Arts.

Prominent artists featured included Joseph Beuys, whose works were displayed at the National Gallery with Ban Chiang-era artifacts, providing a connection between historical and contemporary art. The gallery also featured Agnes Arellano, Chitra Ganesh, Guerreiro do Divino Amor, and Indian sculptor Ravinder Reddy, who presented his reinterpreted sculpture that had been damaged during political unrest in 2010.

New to this Biennale was the venue One Bangkok, which permanently housed a Tony Cragg stainless-steel sculpture. The Biennale also featured a focus on artists exploring environmental issues, curated by Irish curator Brian Curtin and Thai curator Paramaporn Sirikulchayanont. These curators brought attention to artists like Som Supaparinya, whose work examined how politics and business transformed landscapes.

BAB 2024 promoted accessibility and inclusivity, with events such as Amanda Coogan’s performance for the hearing impaired and Mutmee Pimdao Panichsamai’s art collaboration with children with Down Syndrome. The Biennale invited audiences to engage deeply with its diverse exhibits, encouraging repeated visits and personal reflections.

The Biennale also served as a platform for exploring Asian LGBTQ+ art, addressing gender and social challenges through creative expressions that highlighted third and fourth genders and challenged conventional norms. Interactive installations and performances encouraged fresh perspectives on gender identity and social norms, fostering dialogue on identity, rebellion, and liberation.

Among the Indian-origin artists featured were Anish Kapoor, Chitra Ganesh, and Ravinder Reddy. Anish Kapoor’s “S-Curve,” displayed at One Bangkok’s Plaza, captivated viewers with its reflective stainless-steel surface, creating dynamic optical illusions and transforming public art engagement. Chitra Ganesh’s work explored fragmentation, power dynamics, and female agency using mythological motifs. Her “She the Question: Head in Flames” provoked reflection on contemporary conflicts and was on display at the National Gallery. Ravinder Reddy’s “Parvati,” a striking gold-and-blue sculpture, symbolized strength, confidence, and future-oriented vision, embodying Reddy’s signature style and commitment to cultural narratives.

Overall, the Bangkok Art Biennale 2024 provided a transformative and thought-provoking experience through a diverse array of artworks addressing global issues such as climate change, social justice, and LGBTQIA+ representation. By centering the theme “Nurture Gaia,” the Biennale encouraged viewers to reflect on humanity’s connection to nature and society, fostering a space for dialogue, creativity, and inclusivity across diverse cultural and artistic perspectives.

The Bangkok Art Biennale 2025 was a remarkable convergence of global artistic talent, showcasing 76 artists across 11 diverse venues. With the theme "Nurture Gaia," it highlighted pressing social, environmental, and cultural issues through various mediums, from sculptures and installations to performances. The Biennale successfully bridged contemporary and traditional art while fostering inclusivity, accessibility, and critical discourse on identity, gender, and environmental concerns. Featuring works by renowned Indian artists like Anish Kapoor and Ravinder Reddy, the event invited audiences to engage deeply with thought-provoking expressions. By promoting dialogue and reflection, the Biennale reinforced its role as a transformative platform for artistic and social exploration.

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