ONE SPACE AT A TIME
This issue of Art Mode takes a slower look at Bangkok,beginning with DIB Bangkok, a newly openedcontemporary art museum set on a site roughly the size of a football field. Designed for unhurried exploration, the spaceoffers a quiet pause from the city—where the bustle fades andattention naturally turns inward.
DIB Bangkok was transformed from a steel warehousemore than 40 years old into a contemporary art space thatprioritizes thoughtful spatial design over spectacle. More thana container for exhibitions, the building itself functions as awork of art. Much of the original structure has been preserved,including Thai–Chinese iron-grilled windows that carry tracesof the site’s past, while a sequence of interconnected spacescreates atmosphere without unnecessary embellishment.
Moving through the building feels like a gradual shift inmood. The lower levels retain a raw, grounded heaviness, whilethe upper floors open up—lighter, airier, and increasingly filledwith natural light. Each step becomes part of the experience,as if walking through a large-scale artwork where architectureis not merely a backdrop, but an active presence shaped bywalls, light, shadow, and the quiet sensations that unfold alongthe way.
The exhibition unfolds across both indoor and outdoorspaces. Inside the three-storey building, the inaugural exhibition(In)visible Presence brings together over 80 works by 40 Thaiand international artists, focusing on subtle details and quieterforms of perception rather than immediate visual impact.
STRAIGHT UPby James Turrel
One of the highlights is Straight Up, a permanent installationby American contemporary artist James Turrell. Using the skyas its primary medium, the work engages with natural light asit shifts throughout the day. Looking upward, the familiar skyappears unexpectedly altered, revealing new depth and intensity.The experience is simple yet engaging, often encouragingvisitors to stay a little longer.
PARS PRO TOTOby Alicja Kwade
In the outdoor courtyard, Pars pro Toto by AlicjaKwade features eleven large stone globes arranged ina calm, steady rhythm. As we move around them, theirviewpoint changes, drawing attention to the scale ofthe sculptures and their relationship to the surroundingspace.
MEMORYby Sho Shibuya
A different atmosphere emerges with Memory (2025) by ShoShibuya, a large-scale wall work composed of daily sunrise imagesprinted over pages of newspapers once filled with urgent headlines andbreaking news. The layered surfaces soften the intensity of the originaltext, transforming it into a quiet gradient of light and color, and offeringa gentle contrast between the passing of time and the constant flow ofinformation.
Another space worth exploring is The Chapel, a cone-shapedgallery clad in porcelain mosaic tiles that brings together elements oftraditional Thai architecture with a contemporary spatial design. Beyondthat, works by international and Thai artists such as Anselm Kiefer, LeeBul, and Montien Boonma appear throughout the site, turning the walkinto a series of quiet discoveries – best enjoyed by wandering, lookingclosely, and letting the place reveal itself bit by bit.
DIB Bangkok (Sukhumvit 40)
Exhibition: (In)visible Presence
On view: 21 December 2025 – 3 August 2026
Opening hours: Thursday–Monday | 10:00 AM–7:00 PM
Admission: Thai residents 550 THB / International
visitors 700 THB
(Closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays)
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