DIB BANGKOK, THE FIRST INTERNATIONAL CONTEMPORARY ART MUSEUM IN BANGKOK, OPENS TO THE PUBLIC ON DECEMBER 21, 2025

The inaugural exhibition, (In)visible Presence, transforms the museum into a multisensory exploration of memory and the human condition, featuring works by 40 leading artists such as Montien Boonma, Lee Bul, Anselm Kiefer, and Alicja Kwade

Dib Bangkok opens to the public today, marking the arrival of the first international contemporary art museum in Bangkok and the first in Thailand to present its own world-class collection of contemporary art from around the globe. Conceived by the late Petch Osathanugrah and brought to reality by his son Purat (Chang) Osathanugrah, Dib Bangkok is set within a 1980s adaptive-reuse warehouse redesigned by Kulapat Yantrasast of WHY Architecture in collaboration with Thailand-based international architectural design firm Architects 49 (A49). Its inaugural exhibition, titled (In)visible Presence, on view through August 3, 2026, brings together significant Thai and international contemporary artworks for a multisensory exploration of memory and the unseen, curated by Ariana Chaivaranon under the artistic direction of inaugural Director, Dr. Miwako Tezuka.

Dib Bangkok's Founding Chairman Purat (Chang) Osathanugrah is an influential Thai business leader and educator. Following the passing of Petch Osathanugrah in 2023, Chang brought together the museum's core team to carry forward his father's vision, guide its transformation into a public institution, and continue to grow its world-class contemporary art collection with a strong sense of global relevance. With this expanding collection at the heart of its presentations, Dib Bangkok opens as a new international platform for creative exchange in Thailand and Southeast Asia and takes its name from the Thai word dib, meaning "raw" or "natural, authentic state," an ethos reflected in its mission, design, and programming.

Purat (Chang) Osathanugrah, Founding Chairman of Dib Bangkok, comments, "Supporting the arts and education has always been at the heart of our family's purpose, and it is an honor to introduce Thailand's first international contemporary art museum here in Bangkok. We are excited to welcome the public to a place where art can be felt as much as it is seen—a space for reflection, curiosity, and play, where each visit unfolds something new and unexpected. Bangkok, with all its energy, creativity, and unstoppable spirit, has long been overdue for an anchor to its contemporary art scene that matches its vibrancy—somewhere that celebrates art in a way as dynamic and bold as the city itself."

Dib Bangkok's grand opening exhibition, (In)visible Presence, presents key works from the museum's collection across its expansive grounds and galleries. Designed in dialogue with the building's architecture, (In)visible Presenceforms a three-level narrative journey that reflects the idea of the past guiding us into the future. Through its unifying theme, the exhibition poses a vital question: how do we remember what is dear to us, yet invisible?

Dr. Miwako Tezuka, Director, describes the curatorial vision of Dib's inaugural program: "Our curatorial approach is theme-oriented, and for the grand opening the theme is 'invisible presence'—art that reaches beyond the sense of vision. This theme is partly driven by our wish to honor our founding father, Petch Osathanugrah, and, translating this impetus into our curatorial framework, we selected 81 works by 40 artists that ask how we sense and remember what is meaningful yet unseen. It is also a response to our time, when the world is in image overdrive and in need of an intimate attentiveness and stillness to counterbalance it."

Ariana Chaivaranon, Curator, adds, "With (In)visible Presence, we wanted the opening exhibition to unfold through the body as much as the eye. Many works here activate multiple senses such as sound, scent, light, and challenge our expectations of scale, weight, and everyday materials. In doing so, they reveal natural resonances across diverse practices, including affinities with postwar movements such as arte povera, where ordinary materials carry profound human presence and memory."

The exhibition moves in tandem with the museum's ascending architecture: from grounded, sensory works on the first floor; intimate, memory-driven pieces on the second; to expansive, light-infused works on the third. Inside the galleries, visitors encounter major installations by Montien Boonma and Somboon Hormtientong, large-scale sculptures by Lee Bul and Anselm Kiefer, and paintings by a diverse range of artists such as Alex Katz, Yuree Kensaku, and Jessie Homer French. These are shown alongside mixed media and new media works by critically acclaimed artists from Thailand and beyond.

Extending beyond the museum walls, outdoor installations transform the landscape into an integral part of the experience. Alicja Kwade's Pars pro Toto (2020), an installation of 11 monumental stone globes ranging from 70 to 250 cm in diameter, anchors the courtyard with a poetic meditation on planetary systems and materiality. On the upper terrace overlooking the courtyard, Pinaree Sanpitak's Breast Stupa Topiary (2013), a series of stainless-steel forms shaped as breast-like stupas, invites reflection on femininity, spirituality, and the body, softening the hard lines of the city with a presence both tender and profound.

For many featured artists, including Sho Shibuya, Finnegan Shannon, and Hugh Hayden, (In)visible Presence marks their first presentation in Thailand, expanding a global dialogue with local artists through a shared inquiry into the conditions of human existence: ephemerality, memory, and identity.

Dib Bangkok's permanent collection is dedicated to global contemporary art, with a focus on works that challenge perceptions, spark dialogue, and invite deep reflection on the complexities of human existence in manifold expressions. The collection comprises over 1,000 works by over 200 artists worldwide, spanning a wide range of media, including painting, sculpture, photography, large-scale installations, and new media, dating from the 1960s to the present.

Nestled in the area between Bangkok's main throughway Rama IV and Sukhumvit 40, Dib Bangkok features eleven gallery spaces totaling 7,000 square meters (75,000 square feet), a 1,400-square-meter (15,000-square-foot) central courtyard, an outdoor sculpture garden, and a penthouse space for special events. The three floors of exhibition space follow a minimal yet nuanced design inspired by the Buddhist concept of enlightenment as visitors journey upwards.

The ground floor introduces an austere, concrete aesthetic, preserving the building's industrial origin. The second level embraces an intimate, contemplative atmosphere, enhanced by a nostalgic Thai-Chinese window grille, original to the structure. The third floor, comprised of white-cube gallery spaces, features skylights that follow the enlightenment-inspired design with an iconic sawtooth roof at the north end of the building. Additional design features include the "Chapel," a cone-shaped gallery clad in porcelain mosaic tiles that reimagine the traditional Thai method of temple ornamentation, and a surrounding reflection pool bisected by a driveway to the museum's underground parking space. Across the large courtyard and separate from the main museum building are a bistro and a flexible program space.

Kulapat Yantrasast, Principal, WHY Architecture, says, "With Dib Bangkok, WHY Architecture's intent was to reflect the city's evolving role as an international art destination, crafting a space that fosters dialogue among artists, curators, and the public, while supporting both community engagement and creative exchange."

Additionally, Dib Bangkok operates a satellite site, Dib26, located in the Phrom Phong area just a 10-minute drive from the main museum and designed by Bangkok's leading design studio, Supermachine. This converted warehouse, offering approximately 900 square meters (9,700 square feet) of usable space, provides a platform for alternative approaches to creative engagement, community-focused initiatives, and forward-thinking educational programs often in partnership with Bangkok University.

Dib Bangkok is collaborating with ARTLAS, a next-generation AI museum companion app, to offer visitors a free, multilingual, and customized guide that reflects Dib's commitment to innovation and uses artificial intelligence to deepen engagement and expand accessibility with AI Q&A and image recognition features. Visitors can download the app at artlas.art or via QR codes onsite.

Looking ahead to 2026, Dib Bangkok will expand its programming with initiatives that strengthen accessibility, artistic exchange, and dialogue between Thailand, the region, and the wider world. Upcoming programs include weekly curator-led tours, new family workshops designed to build creative confidence across generations, and an international symposium on contemporary art in Southeast Asia.

Dib Bangkok will offer local and international visitors a new cultural hub in the heart of Thailand's bustling capital, featuring an exceptional contemporary art collection, and driven by a team of ambitious experts.

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