Bangkok Art Biennale (BAB 2026) A Year Away
By Kathleen Pokrud
The Bangkok Art Biennale (BAB) will return for its fifth edition from 29 October 2026 to 28 February 2027. Under the theme, Angels and Mara, it’s certain to transform the city into a dynamic stage for contemporary art. Organised by the Bangkok Art Biennale Foundation in collaboration with Thai Beverage PCL (ThaiBev) and the support of the public and private sectors, BAB 2026 will once again bring contemporary art into Bangkok’s most iconic cultural landmarks, historic temples, heritage sites and vibrant public spaces.
Theme: Angels and Mara
As the world trembles with wars, terrorism, environmental crises, and political divides, humanity is caught within the blurred boundaries of right, wrong and in between. In this fractured reality, opposites coexist — compassion with cruelty, truth with distortion.
The Bangkok Art Biennale 2026 has adopted the theme Angels and Mara as it will explore the tension between guardians of light and forces of temptation. Angels, from the Greek angelos, meaning “divine messengers”, appear across different cultures and religions and embody hope and protection while Mara in Buddhist cosmology represents death, desire and the darker sides of human nature.
Set in Bangkok (Krung Thep, the City of Angels), a city long celebrated as the Venice of the East and Land of Smiles, BAB 2026 becomes a stage for artists from Thailand and around the world to reflect on the struggles, contradictions, and resilience of our time.
Curatorial Team
BAB 2026 will be shaped under the artistic direction of Prof Dr Apinan Poshyananda, Bangkok Art Biennale Chief Executive and Artistic Director; alongside curators Adulaya Hoontrakul, Director, Bangkok Art and Culture Centre; Rémy Jarry, Lecturer, Chulalongkorn University and Adjunct Professor, Catholic University of Paris; Melanie Pocock, Artistic Director of Exhibitions, Ikon Gallery, and Kulapat Yantrasast, Founder and Creative Director, WHY Architecture. Together, this international team will foster a platform for artistic innovation, experimentation, and critical dialogue.
Artists
Bangkok Art Biennale 2026 proudly presents a diverse array of artists from America, Asia and Europe, ranging from established figures to emerging talents. The first 15 participating artists and collectives include: Mel Chin (US), Mandy El-Sayegh (UK), Gerard & Kelly (US), Piero Golia (Italy), Sonia Hamza (France), Mahtab Hussain & Guy Gunaratne (UK), Htein Lin (Myanmar), Shin Min (Korea), Yasumasa Morimura (Japan), Mary Pakinee (Thailand), Ri (Myanmar), Kornkarn Rungsawang (Thailand), Teerapon Sisung (Thailand), Manit Sriwanichpoom (Thailand), and Sun Yuan & Peng Yu (China).
Venues
BAB 2026 will transform Bangkok into a city of art, exhibiting works across an extraordinary range of venues, from contemporary cultural hubs such as the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre (BACC) and the visionary urban development, One Bangkok, to the city’s most revered heritage sites and temples: Wat Arun Ratchawararam Ratchawaramahawihan (Temple of Dawn or Wat Arun); Wat Phra Chetuphon Wimon Mangkhalaram Rajwaramahawihan (Temple of the Reclining Buddha or Wat Pho) and Wat Prayurawongsawat Worawihan (Temple of Iron Fences or Wat Prayoon). Exhibitions will also take place at Museum Siam, the National Museum and National Gallery, Thailand’s leading centres of history and culture, where royal treasures and sacred artifacts provide a striking backdrop for today’s artistic voices. By bridging modern and historical locations, sacred and urban spaces, BAB 2026 will spark fresh perspectives and meaningful encounters between the past and the present.
