Thailand’s First International Contemporary Art Museum to Open in Bangkok

In December, Thailand will unveil Dib Bangkok, its inaugural museum showcasing international contemporary art. Situated within a renovated 71,000-square-foot steel warehouse from the 1980s, the name “Dib,” meaning “raw” or “authentic state,” reflects its vision of history, peace, and architecture. The architectural transformation is being led by Kulapat Yantrasast of WHY Architecture, known for their work at the Louvre in Paris.

Featuring over 1,000 pieces by more than 200 artists, this museum’s collection encompasses painting, sculpture, photography, large installations, and new media, primarily from the 1990s to the present. The museum’s inaugural exhibition, titled Invisible Presence, will highlight works by Montien Boonma, Lee Bul, Anselm Kiefer, and Alicja Kwade. This show is a tribute to the founder’s late father Petch Osathanugrah, whose art collection forms the basis of the museum, honoring his legacy.

The three-story museum will be located under a skylit sawtooth roof and will consist of eleven galleries. Among these are the cone-shaped “Chapel,” designed to serve as a peaceful space for immersive installations. Other architectural elements include a spacious central courtyard of 15,000 square feet, an outdoor sculpture garden, and traditional Thai-Chinese window frames and ceilings that have been preserved from the building’s original architecture.

After the unveiling of Khao Yai Art Forest, a sibling location to Bangkok Kunshthalle, Dib Bangkok emerges as the latest cultural establishment aiming to establish Thailand as a significant global platform for artistic collaboration. This ambitious project will feature a distinguished lineup of initial directors – Dr. Miwako Tezuka, a former Gallery Director at the Japan Society in New York, and curator Ariana Chaivaranon from Beijing’s UCCA Center for Contemporary Art, among others.

In a recent statement, the founder, Purat (Chang) Osathanugrah, emphasized that the bustling city of Bangkok, with its lively energy, innovative spirit, and indomitable zest, is in need of an artistic beacon reflecting its vibrancy – a place that honors contemporary art as vigorously and audaciously as Bangkok itself.

Head to the Dib Bangkok’s website for more information.

Read More