Bangkok & Around - Thailand - page 154

BANGKOK'S ART GALLERIES

Although its hyper-urban environment seems to cater to the inner philistine in all of us, Bangkok has a low-key
but burgeoning art scene. In recent years, galleries seem to have been opening on a weekly basis, and Bangkok
also acts as something of a regional art hub with works by emerging artists from places such as Myanmar and
Cambodia. To find out what's happening while you're in town, pick up a free copy of the excellent BAM!
(Bangkok Art Map; www.facebook.com/bangkokartmap ) .
Our picks of the city's better galleries:

» Kathmandu Photo Gallery OFFLINE MAP GOOGLE MAP ( www.kathmandu-bkk.com ; 87 Th Pan;

11am-7pm Tue-Sun; Surasak exit 3) Bangkok's only truly dedicated photography gallery is located
in a restored Sino-Portuguese shophouse. The small upstairs gallery plays host to changing exhibitions by local
and international artists and photographers.

» Silom Galleria OFFLINE MAP GOOGLE MAP (919/1 Th Silom; 6am-10pm; Surasak exit 3) Not a
gallery per se, but the top floors of this abandoned-feeling mall are home to some of Bangkok's best commercial
galleries: Number 1 Gallery OFFLINE MAP GOOGLE MAP ( www.number1gallery.com ; 4th fl, Silom Galleria,
919/1 Th Silom; 10am-7pm Mon-Sat; Surasak exit 3) features edgy contemporary Thai art, Tang
Gallery OFFLINE MAP GOOGLE MAP (5th fl, Silom Galleria, 919/1 Th Silom; 11am-7pm Mon-Sat;
Surasak exit 3) showcases the work of contemporary Chinese artists, and Thavibu OFFLINE MAP
GOOGLE MAP ( www.thavibu.com ; 4th fl, Silom Galleria, 919/1 Th Silom;

11am-7pm Tue-Sat; Surasak

exit 3) focuses on the work of Vietnamese and Burmese artists.
» Bangkok Art & Culture Centre OFFLINE MAP GOOGLE MAP (BACC; www.bacc.or.th ; cnr Th Phayathai

& Th Phra Ram I; 10am-9pm Tue-Sat; National Stadium exit 3) This multistorey building, loc-
ated smack-dab in the centre of Bangkok, combines revolving exhibitions and art-themed commerce.

» 100 Tonson Gallery OFFLINE MAP GOOGLE MAP ( www.100tonsongallery.com ; 100 Soi Tonson;

11am-7pm Thu-Sun; Chit Lom exit 4) A private gallery showcasing the work of domestic and inter-
national emerging and high-profile painters, sculptors and conceptual artists.

» H Gallery OFFLINE MAP GOOGLE MAP ( www.hgallerybkk.com ; 201 Soi 12, Th Sathon Neua (North);

10am-6pm Wed-Sat, by appointment Tue; Chong Nonsi exit 1) Leading commercial gallery for

emerging Thai abstract painters.
» Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA; www.mocabangkok.com ; 3 Th Viphawadee Rangsit; admission
180B; 10am-6pm Tue-Sun; Mo Chit exit 1 and taxi) A huge new complex north of town, MOCA spans
five floors of pieces by the cream of the crop of Thailand's contemporary artists. It's the place to go to take in the
spectrum of modern Thai art from breathtaking to not-so-good.

Sukhumvit

The BTS is the primary public-transport option, although the MRT intersects at Sukhum-
vit station.