Wat Arun Ratchawararam Ratchawaramahawihan (Temple of Dawn), named by King Taksin Maharaj and later by King Rama II, is also called Wat Arun or Wat Chaeng. The temple has a history dated back to Ayutthaya Kingdom, and is known for the stupa encrusted with colorful porcelain collected from maritime trade between Siam and China. Courtesy Bangkok Art Biennale and the venue.
This fall, contemporary art will take over Bangkok as the Bangkok Art Biennale (BAB) returns for its fifth edition. The event’s title, BAB 2026: Angels and Mara, draws from two contrasting figures: angels, understood across cultures as divine messengers and guardians; and Mara, the Buddhist figure associated with death, temptation, desire, and fear. It will bring more than 40 artists to temples, museums, heritage sites, and public spaces throughout the Thai capital.
This biennale will unfold across 10 venues throughout Bangkok. Visitors can encounter contemporary art alongside some of the city’s most recognizable cultural landmarks. This includes Wat Arun, Wat Pho, Wat Prayoon, Museum Siam, Bangkok Art and Culture Centre (BACC), and One Bangkok.
The city-wide format has become central to the biennale since its founding in 2017. BAB uses Bangkok’s historic architecture and urban landscape as part of the exhibition itself, creating encounters between contemporary works and the city’s waterways, streets, and heritage sites. Its first four editions attracted nearly 5 million visitors and featured more than 300 artists from Asia, Europe, America, Oceania, and Africa.
BAB brings together an international roster that spans generations, cultures, and artistic practices. Their work moves across painting, sculpture, photography, installation, film, and performance. The diverse lineup creates space for both internationally recognized figures and artists working within Thailand's contemporary art scene. Among the participating artists are Mel Chin, Mandy El-Sayegh, Yasumasa Morimura, Leiko Ikemura, and Pierre et Gilles, alongside Thai artists such as Manit Sriwanichpoom, Udom Taephanich, Tawan Wattuya, and Sudaporn Teja.
Artistic director Apinan Poshyananda leads the curatorial team with Adulaya Hoontrakul, Rémy Jarry, Melanie Pocock, and Kulapat Yantrasast. Together, they shape Angels and Mara around the tension between opposing forces, from virtue and corruption to compassion and cruelty.
One of the most distinctive aspects of BAB is its relationship with the city itself. The biennale creates a dialogue between contemporary art and Bangkok’s cultural heritage. At Wat Arun, Wat Pho, and Wat Prayoon, centuries-old architecture will provide the setting for new artistic interventions. Elsewhere, works will appear within museums and contemporary cultural spaces, including Museum Siam, BACC, and One Bangkok. The result is an exhibition route that moves between historic and contemporary Bangkok rather than following the boundaries of a traditional museum show.
With Angels and Mara, BAB 2026 offers an opportunity to experience international contemporary art while moving through one of Southeast Asia’s most culturally layered cities. The fifth Bangkok Art Biennale will take place from October 29, 2026, to February 28, 2027.
The Bangkok Art Biennale returns to the Thai capital on October 29, 2026, and runs through February 28, 2027.
Woo Hannah, Flame Thrower, 2025. Lacquer paint on fabric, stuffing, steel frame, 175 x 175 x 94 cm. Photograph by Seungheon Lee © Woo Hannah (Photo: Courtesy of the artist and G Gallery)
Max Hooper Schneider, Dendrite Grotesque (Orchid and Cactus), 2024. Copper-electroplated cactus, flowers, citrus fruits, site-specific clippings, and ornamental wood assemblage, 36 x 20 x 18 inches, 91.5 x 51 x 45.5 cm. (Photo: Courtesy of the Artist and François Ghebaly, Los Angeles, New York. Photo: Paul Salveson)
Photo: Courtesy of Tawan Wattuya
Arahmaiani, Flag Project, 2022. Performed at Pattani, Thailand.
Mandy El-Sayegh, 00:00:01, 2025. Installation view. (Photo: Courtesy of the artist and Public Gallery)
Yasumasa Morimura, Mother (Judith III), 1991. Color photograph, transparent medium. 240x160cm, Copyright Yasumasa Morimura. (Photo: Courtesy of the artist and Yoshiko Isshiki Office, Tokyo)
Pierre & Gilles, “Beautiful Boxers” (Toom Nong, Khamdree, Salakjit & Danthai), 2004. 166 x 141 cm, Pierre & Gilles Collection – Templon.
Its fifth edition, Angels and Mara, brings more than 40 artists from Thailand and around the world to 10 venues across Bangkok.
Un Cheng, “Millennium Limbo,” 2026. Oil on canvas, wooden frame, 152.5 x 112.5 x 4 cm (framed size). (Photo: Courtesy of artist and Blindspot Gallery)
Photo: Courtesy of Un Cheng
Breda Lynch, “Blue Dyke (Redux),” 2023. Meta Open Arts commission 2023, Meta Headquarters, Dublin, curated by Linda Shevlin.
Sumi Kanazawa, “A Curtain on a Bay Window,” 2013. Mixed Media, Dimensions variable, Itabashi Art Museum, Tokyo. (Photo: Ichiro Ohtani, courtesy the artist)
Leiko Ikemura, Usagi Kannon II, 2013/18. patinated bronze, 330 x 118 x 155 cm © Leiko Ikemura, (Photo: Jonty Wilde)
Their works will appear in temples, museums, heritage sites, and contemporary cultural spaces, including Wat Arun, Wat Pho, Museum Siam, and Bangkok Art and Culture Centre.
Museum Siam. A colonial architecture landmark, formerly the Ministry of Commerce, is now a discovery museum that exhibits the history of national identity of the people of Thailand, and their relationships with neighboring cultures. The Museum Siam strives to become a center of learning for pleasure and create a new concept and image of the “Modern Museum” of Thailand that fosters opportunities in knowledge building and develops creativity and innovation outside school. (Photo: Courtesy Bangkok Art Biennale and the venue)
Bangkok Art and Culture Centre (BACC). Bangkok’s largest public art centre with continuously rotating exhibitions and performances embracing all forms of art, including visual art, music, performing art, film, design, cultural/educational events and many more. The centre also includes cafes, commercial art galleries, bookshops, craft shops, and a library. It is intended as a venue for cultural exchange, giving Bangkok an operational base on the international art scene. (Photo: Courtesy Bangkok Art Biennale and the venue)
Mel Chin, “Pool of Light,” 2024. (Photo: Alex Marks)
Sonia Hamza, “LE JEU DE CETTE FAMILLE – DO YOU HAVE THE PATERNAL GRANDMOTHER,” Digital photo collage, 5.91 x 4.72 inches.
The city-wide exhibition offers visitors a chance to encounter contemporary art within some of Bangkok’s most significant cultural landmarks.
Photo: Courtesy of Udom Taephanich
Photo: Courtesy of Woo Hannah
Sudaporn Teja, “Susurrus,” 2026. Installation view.
Naraphat Sakarthornsap, “A Hopeless Hope,” 2025.
Sun Yuan & Peng Yu, “Angel,” 2008. Installation, fiberglass and silica gel sculpture, exhibition at Galleria Continua (Photo: Courtesy of the artists and Galleria Continua)
