Nova Contemporary’s Bigger Space Hoped to Open the Way for ‘Ambitious Projects’ in Bangkok

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Bangkok gallery Nova Contemporary will reopen on 26 April in a new venue located in Bang Rak, with enough space to spread its wings and pursue bigger projects.

Founder Sutima “Junko” Sucharitakul said the move to the city’s ‘crossroads of tradition, education and global exchange’ represented a new phase.

‘We’re evolving as a gallery, and this move to a larger space will allow us to realise more ambitious projects whilst better engaging with our growing collector base,’ she said.

The new space, located in Bang Rak, sits near the revered Wat Hua Lamphong temple and major shopping complexes, universities, and museums.

The space will be inaugurated with an exhibition called Affinities, running from 26 April to 5 July 2025.

The show will bring together 28 leading figures in Southeast Asian art and Nova Contemporary’s represented artists alongside those from CityCity Gallery, another key force in Bangkok’s art scene.

The first show in the new space will pair artists to highlight artistic dialogue—as seen in the grouping of Araya Rasdjarmrearnsook and the late Montien Boonma, recalling their landmark 2005 duo show at the Venice Biennale.

Founded in 2016, the gallery represents Thai artists from Sucharitakul’s generation and supports established talents from the region, including Moe Satt and Sawangwongse Yawnghwe.

With more room to work with, Sucharitakul affirmed the gallery’s commitment to being globally relevant while staying true to ‘the anthropological lens of our programme, which is often based on Thai history, identity, and cosmology’.

For eight years, Nova Contemporary’s former residential setting has served as a venue for biennials across the city, including Ghost:2561 (2018), Ghost 2565 (2022), and Bangkok Art Biennale (2024). —[O]

Main image: Rendering of Nova Contemporary, Si Phraya Road, Bangkok. Courtesy Skarn Chaiyawat Architects.