Thailand's First International Contemporary Art Museum to Open in Bangkok

This December, Thailand will open the doors to Dib Bangkok, its first major museum dedicated to international contemporary art. Located in a repurposed 71,000-square-foot 1980s steel warehouse, the name – “Dib,” translating to “raw” or “authentic state” – sets the tone for its serene vision of history, tranquility and architecture. The redesign is helmed by architect Kulapat Yantrasast of WHY Architecture, the group behind the ongoing overhaul at the Louvre in Paris.

Showcasing over 1,000 works by more than 200 artists, the museum’s offerings will span painting, sculpture, photography, large-scale installations and new media, largely from the 1990s onward. Its first exhibition, titled Invisible Presence, will feature works by Montien Boonma, Lee Bul, Anselm Kiefer and Alicja Kwade, honoring the legacy of the founder’s late father Petch Osathanugrah, whose personal collection serves as the institution’s foundation.

Housed under a skylit, sawtooth roof, the three-story museum will comprise eleven galleries, including the cone-shaped “Chapel,” designed as a meditative space for immersive installations. Additional architectural features include a 15,000-square-foot-central-courtyard, an outdoor sculpture garden and traditional Thai-Chinese window frames and ceilings, preserved from the building’s original architecture. 

Following the opening announcement of the Khao Yai Art Forest, a sister site to the Bangkok Kunshthalle, Dib Bangkok comes as the latest institution looking to position Thailand as a global hub for artistic exchange, bringing together an impressive roster of inaugural leaders – Dr. Miwako Tezuka, former Gallery Director of the Japan Society in New York, alongside curator Ariana Chaivaranon from Beijing’s UCCA Center for Contemporary Art – along the way.

“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,” founder Purat (Chang) Osathanugrah expressed in a recent statement.

Head to the Dib Bangkok’s website for more information.