Bangkok loves a contradiction. Shrines sit beside shopping malls, street food rubs shoulders with skincare counters and the sacred is rarely far from the spectacular. So it feels only right that Bangkok Art Biennale 2026 is leaning into the push and pull of opposites.
The citywide art festival has announced a fresh wave of 27 artists for this year’s edition, bringing the total line-up to 42 artists from Thailand and around the world.
The theme is ‘Angels & Mara’, a broad look at the forces that tug between light and dark, hope and despair, virtue and temptation. In other words: big questions about belief, power and identity, set against some of Bangkok’s most recongisable spaces.
Photograph: BkkArtBiennale2026
Among the newly announced names are Indonesia’s Arahmaiani, Japan’s Nobuyoshi Araki, French duo Pierre & Gilles, Canada’s Sin Wai Kin and American Max Hooper Schneider. Thailand is strongly represented too, with Channatip Chanvipava, Naraphat Sakarthornsap, Tawan Wattuya and Udom Taephanich among the names joining the bill.
More artists, exhibitions and public programmes will be announced closer to opening, but there is already plenty to start plotting around. The biennale will unfold across 10 landmark venues, from riverside temples and major museums to shopping centres and university art spaces.
Photograph: BkkArtBiennale2026
Mark the calendar: Bangkok Art Biennale 2026 runs from October 26 2026 to February 28 2027. Follow Bangkok Art Biennale on Facebook for the next round of updates.
Venues
- Wat Arun Ratchawararam Ratchawaramahawihan
- Wat Phra Chetuphon Wimon Mangkhalaram Ratchaworamahawihan (Wat Pho)
- Wat Prayurawongsawat Worawihan
- Bangkok Art and Culture Centre (BACC)
- CentralWorld
- Museum Siam
- National Museum Bangkok
- One Bangkok
- Siam Paragon
- Silpakorn University Art Centre
Image: Bangkok Art Biennale2026
Artist names:
Arahmaiani
Nobuyoshi Araki
Cedric Arnold
Beyond Pressure
Channatip Chanvipava
Yanran Chen
Un Cheng
Mel Chin
Yeoh Choo Kuan
Mandy El-Sayegh
Gerard & Kelly
Piero Golia
Sonia Hamza
Mahtab Hussain and Guy
Gunaratne
Leiko Ikemura
Liu Jianhua
Sumi Kanazawa
Renato Leotta
Htein Lin
Breda Lynch
Shin Min
Yasumasa Morimura
Mary Pakinee
OngKian Peng
Chetsada Phuwiang
Pierre & Gilles
Nazanin Pouyandeh
Ri
Kornkarn Rungsawang
Naraphat Sakarthornsap
MaxHooper Schneider
Sylvie Selig
Sin WaiKin
Teerapon Sisung
Manit Sriwanichpoom
Udom Taephanich
Mika Tamori
Sudaporn Teja
Ralf Tooten
Tawan Wattuya
Woo Hannah
SUN YUAN and PENG YU
Mark the calendar: October 26 2026-February 28 2027. Follow Bangkok Art Biennale on Facebook for the rest.
