Every other year, Bangkok morphs into something a bit surreal. Not in the dreamy, ‘let’s get a tuk-tuk and see where the night takes us’ kind of way – more like walking in a shopping mall and suddenly finding yourself face to face with a massive sculpture about climate collapse.
It’s Bangkok Art Biennale (BAB) – and it’s back in October 2026, a citywide collision of the sacred, the strange and the spectacular.
The fifth edition lands in October 2026 with the theme ‘Angels and Mara’ – a poetic tug of war between light and shadow. It’s an idea that fits our moment a little too well, exploring how hope and conflict coexist in a world that feels like it’s constantly negotiating its moral compass. This year’s chapter brings together artists from 39 countries, each interpreting that tension in their own language.
Among the first announced are names like Mandy El-Sayegh, Mel Chin, Gerard and Kelly, Sonia HamZa, Yasumasa Morimura, Htein Lin and Manit Sriwanichpoom – a line-up that promises as much provocation as poetry. They’ll unveil more than 200 works across eight venues that tell very different stories about what it means to be human in this moment.
Eight places worth having on your map:
- Wat Arun – yes, that Wat Arun – where sacred architecture meets subversive installations right by the river.
- Wat Pho – more than just reclining Buddhas; art meets ancient sculpture in one of Bangkok’s most storied temples.
- Wat Prayurawongsawas – a UNESCO-recognised site with layers of history, now layered with contemporary art.
- BACC – Bangkok’s cultural living room. If it’s happening in Thai art, it’s probably happening here.
- Museum Siam – for artworks wrapped around questions of identity, nationalism and the idea of ‘Thai-ness’.
- National Museum – where the old guard makes room for bold new voices.
- The National Gallery – one of the city’s most under-discussed art spaces steps into the spotlight.
- One Bangkok – the new kid on the skyline, sleek and unapologetically massive.
From October 29 2026 to February 28 2027, the city will once again become a playground for imagination with art at its centre. Bangkok has never needed much help being theatrical, but BAB manages to make even its quiet corners feel like scenes from a dream you can’t quite wake from