Your guide to Galleries’ Nights 2024

Organised by the French embassy, Galleries’ Nights started in 2013 and was inspired by Paris’s La Nuit Blanche (The Sleepless Night) to bring art closer to everyone.

The event also connects visitors to local artists such as Benzilla, known for his vibrant paintings, murals and sculptures of a three-eyed alien character, LOOOK, at Tang Contemporary Art and Ping Hatta, whose bold illustrations of women have been featured in British Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar Japan at Xspace Gallery.

For the first time, more than 100 galleries showcasing works by nearly 200 artists will take part. And it’s not just in Bangkok – Galleries’ Nights make their debut in Chiang Mai on November 29-30.

It’s also the first time the event has teamed up with the Bangkok Art Biennale with the Bangkok Art and Culture Center, One Bangkok and the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center all staying open late.

Among the 100 galleries involved, on the first night, Bangkok Kunsthalle presents Mend Piece, an exhibition by John Lennon’s widow, Yoko Ono, an avant-garde artist in her own right. The show, originally conceived in 1966, is an early exploration of participatory art inviting the visitors to piece together the ceramic shards in the artwork. Representing healing through communal mending.

The following night, West Eden hosts Transformation Theory, a photography exhibition by Thai artist Sirawit Kuwawattananont. It showcases reconstructed fragmented photographs exploring the relationship between Chiang Mai and Bangkok, symbolising the tension between those who cling to the past and those striving for a better future.

Join an open-air treasure hunt to find eight NFTs randomly placed in all the galleries during the two nights. The first person to collect four will win a prize to be awarded at the closing ceremony at the Jim Thompson Art Center on November 24.

Create your own artistic journey and hop between galleries by electric tuk-tuk, with 25 special itineraries provided by the ride-sharing service MuvMi. For a map, visit their website.