Now is the time you should go out on the streets and bask yourselves in dazzling lights from all head-turning artworks at the third edition of Awakening Bangkok.
Organized by Time Out Bangkok, the 2020 volume of Bangkok's biggest lighting installation fest returns with a timely theme of "RE/WIND/FAST/FORWARD" that invites a big cast of 25 creative geniuses to craft over 36 pieces of beaming designs to reflect on the current crisis of coronavirus so that we can look back on what we have gone through and contemplate on how to move past the hard times.
And before we get to amble down the route of locations along Charoenkrung-Taladnoi and see all the bright lights, let's take a look at the preview of all artworks that will be on display in 20 participating venues this year, and don't forget to mark the date! It's December 11-20.
Also, check out the map of all locations below.
Artist: DON BOY
Location: Prince Theatre Heritage Stay
Take a walk down Johnnie Walker’s memory lane at the Prince Theatre, a historical site in Charoenkrung that has stood the test of time, and continues to bridge the past and the present.
*Showcase between 13-20 December 2020
Artist: WHOOP
Location: Prince Theatre Heritage Stay
The wonder of old-fashioned analog projectors, once used in classrooms, is revived, taking us back to those good old days filled with vivid colors and brilliant ideas.
*This installation will be revealed from December 13 onwards.
Artist: ROUND AND NINE
Location: About White Cafe & Bistro
The rainbow, a universal symbol for hope, luck and new beginnings, is depicted in a different way, forever changing how you perceive this thing of natural beauty.
Artist: TITIPA THINRACH
Location: Marine Police Lodge
Strong women continue to fight for gender equality and freedom of expression, and hope to break down more social barriers through this exhibition inspired by the exquisite and unbreakable goddess Artemis.
Artist: THANAPORN SUKCHAROEN
Location: Marine Police Lodge
Imagine yourself as the arms of a clock while reflecting on the question of how much time you need for one good day.
Artist: AKE RAWDMEK
Location: Marine Police Lodge
Your voice will be more than just a means to communicate. Here, you can use it to light up the dark, whether you’re dropping a soft whisper or unleashing a throat-wrenching scream.
Artist: CHATTAKAN VONGSIRI
Location: Marine Police Lodge
Wishing to raise more awareness on the ongoing coronavirus crisis, the artist has come up with an exhibit that explores how every thing we do triggers a wave of reactions even though we can’t see it with our naked eyes.
Artist: THEERAWAT KLANGJAREONCHAI
Location: Haroon Mosque Community
Treading on water can be a fearful idea that one might wish to overcome. Here at Rivulet, you will face your fear and make the impossible possible, so go on, brave it out, and walk on (virtual) water.
Artist: CHAROEN CREW, KING MONGKUT INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY LADKRABANG
Location: Haroon Mosque Community
Charoenkrung has long been a multicultural community, witnessing the coming together of people from various walks of life. This is depicted in an installation that’s also inspired by the Golden Ratio.
Artist: AUTOSAVE STUDIO
Location: Darunbannalai Children’s Library
A Norse legend involving the northern lights, or aurora borealis, tell of warriors who sacrificed their lives to fight for their nation. Since traveling to Europe now poses some difficulty, why not revel in the strength of these fighters or see the beauty of these glowing lights in the heart of Bangkok instead.
Artist: SANISCHAYA & OKTAY
Location: Darunbannalai Children’s Library
Life would be easier if we could hit the rewind button, just like with an old cassette player. Similar to how it can be difficult to appreciate new songs and music, it’s been a struggle to get used to new norms in these difficult times. So why don’t we just go back and enjoy some good old memories.
Artist: H-LAB
Location: Darunbannalai Children’s Library
Curiosity sometimes springs up in our head like flower blossoms in a field. At the Garden of Knowledge, you can grow, bloom and shine on with the lights.
Artist: YIMSAMER
Location: The Grand Postal Building
Anything could happen—fish swimming in the air, the world turning upside down and the ocean rising over the mountains. Whatever happens in the next 10, 20 or 100 years, all we can do is “Keep Walking”.
Artist: PEEM POOLPOL
Location: The Grand Postal Building
Find a way out of the darkness at this room where light and sound combine to create a labyrinthine experience.
Artist: PEAK O' VISUALS
Location: The Grand Postal Building
Huge Chinese lanterns shining bright herald the arrival of good fortune.
Artist: CEA
Location: The Grand Postal Building
There’s so much you may not know about the Sun, so let’s embark on a journey in Solar Land and get yourself enlightened by the dazzling, innovative fun that helps you get closer to this hot, bright star.
Artist: POL HUI
Location: Bangrak Riverview
Sadness is part of our lives; we can’t shake it off. The best we can do is smile and have fun through our pains or, in this case, swat away virtual statice flowers falling on us like a downpour of heartache.
Artist: TYJ
Location: Bangrak Riverview
Let go of all worries and apprehensions at The Forest, where you can seek comfort in the breathtaking scenes of a virtual woodland.
Artist: TYJ
Location: Warehouse 30
Dive into the deep blue sea where a trove of undiscovered treasure awaits. No one knows what you will find—it’s all up to you and your imagination.
Artist: DON BOY
Location: Warehouse 30
Lose yourself in an ever-changing jungle wherein the concept of beauty never ceases to awe and amaze.
Artist: THE CONTINUUM
Location: Continuum Warehouse
Photographer Tanatorn Boonma turns the warehouse's whole floor into minimal architecture to depict what Bangkok civilization looks like with the wall mapping technique.
Artist: H-LAB
Location: ATT19
Freedom of speech is elusive these days, but the H-Lab folks are here to help you express what’s in your playful mind through the use of an emoji code—and only you know it means.
Artist: H-LAB
Location: ATT19
Don’t you get tired to break your own routine yet. It’s fun, it’s inspiring, and it keeps life going on. So if you already feel uninspired to make a wave in your life, let’s go deep into this jungle and find the light to reignite you.
Artist: COTH STUDIO x NATTAPAT
Location: Si Phraya Pier
On the bright side, the pandemic reveals how we can step back, reassess our lives and bounce back, like a hard, long spring.
Artist: PEEM POOLPOL x JURASSIC.PEW
Location: River City Bangkok
Get your moves ready and dance like no one is watching at this mock-up disco dance floor where bombastic fun lasts for 30 seconds.
Artist: KIMBAB:)
Location: Krung Kasem Pump Station
In some parts of the world, snow signals the arrival of a new year. Traveling to see real snow is almost entirely impossible, but you do have Candies Land where you can soak in a cloud of smoke bubbles.
Artist: CEDRIC ARNOLD
Location: Patina Bangkok
Human consciousness and memories can be difficult to explain, but this photographic illustration of apophenia, the human tendency to seek patterns and connections in random bits of information, tries to make sense of things.
Artist: PUNPITAN X KIMBAB:)
Location: Patina Bangkok
A smattering of multi-colored “pebbles” represents the robust community of Charoenkrung, where people from different religious backgrounds unite as one despite their diversities.
Artist: YEAST
Location: Patina Bangkok
Walking blissfully in the rain seems to be a romantic idea that only exists in fiction. This installation is a simulation of the real thing, but you’re kept nice and dry.
Artist: JARVIS
Location: Rong Kuak Shrine
The familiar-looking lanterns that hang in Chinese shrines in Bangkok are recreated in a modern manner. In this installation, they’re equipped with neon lights and sound to underline the boundlessness of art and culture.
Artist: JIRAYU KOO X KIMBAB:)
Location: Baan Rim Naam
Charoenkrung has gone through numerous developments over the last 100 years, and all these changes have combined to make the area one of the most appealing in the city. The neighborhood’s many moving stories are told through adorable characters that represent the diversity of Charoenkrung.
Artist: NUTIDA x TRWT
Location: Baan Rim Naam
Two artists in different parts of the globe—one in New York and the other in Berlin—collaborate to relate their experiences during quarantine, where fear and anxiety are overcome by gleaming sunlight.
Artist: TYLER JAMES
Location: Baan Rim Naam
The greatness of technology allows you to experience life as a paintbrush. In this installation, you are art and the artist—and the medium.
Artist: 27JUNE STUDIO
Location: Baan Rim Naam
Maximize all your five senses in this swaying installation, which imitates the movement of the Chao Phraya River.
Artist: Darkle
Location: Baan Rim Naam
Amid the chaos brought about by the pandemic, fractured economies, global corruption and political unrest, the fragile but enduring flicker of a candle flame offers both solace and meaning.
Artist: DIGITAL PICNIC
Location: So Heng Tai
A Chinese myth about red koi swimming against the current to the Dragon’s Gate and evolving into a heavenly creature comes to life at the central pool of this legendary Taladnoi mansion.
*Entrance fee (B50)
Artist: COTH STUDIO x NATTAPAT
Location: Taladnoi
Taladnoi is home to a cast of cute felines wandering around from wall to wall. The artist pays tribute to these cheeky little animals that love to sidle up beside people.
Artist: VARIOUS ARTISTS
Location: ICONSIAM
In this collection of installations, artwork by award-winning illustrator and animator Mike Perry breaks down the differences between Thai art and western sensibilities. Also, if you have no idea what Thai Christmas trees look like, this riverside exhibition will enlighten you (pun intended).
Artist: EYEDROPPER FILL
Location: Phadung Krung Kasem
Visual art collective illuminates Phadung Krung Kasem Canel with a series inspiring quotes.
*Showcase between 15 December 2020 and 4 January 2021
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