Main Exhibition
LOCAL MYTHS: The Intrinsic Aesthetic
Part of the Local Networking Project
Organised by Bangkok Art and Culture Centre (BACC) and the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration
Principal Corporate Supporter: Thai Beverage Public Company Limited
Media Partners: ONCE, Room Books, KiNdconnext
Curated by Exhibition Department, Bangkok Art and Culture Centre
Advisory Curator: Penwadee Nophaket Manont
Artists
Keeta Isran and Hayanee Malee
Khunnithi Roongreang
Mahasarakham Mid-field Artspace
MELAYU LIVING
Napol Phatham
Nuriya Waji
Panachai Chaijirarat
Prach Pimarnman and Rozee Haree
Punyisa Sinraparatsamee
Speedy Grandma
Surasit Mankhong
LOCAL MYTHS: The Intrinsic Aesthetic
Part of the Local Networking Project
Amid a constantly shifting cultural landscape shaped by the aftermath of a global pandemic and ongoing geopolitical and economic conflicts, boundaries of power and cultural influence have become increasingly pronounced. The world is no longer defined by a single centre; rather, it is characterised by a plurality of ideas, ways of life, and artistic expressions rooted in distinct local contexts. The regions – once regarded as peripheral – are now recognised as sources of knowledge, beauty, and profound creative energy.
Within this context, the concept of The Intrinsic Aesthetic serves as the thematic framework for an initiative by the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre (BACC). The project seeks to explore forms of beauty that emerge organically from the socio-cultural fabric of local communities – through myths, folktales, belief systems, and histories crystallised in daily life. This is an aesthetic not designed to cater to international markets, but one that grows from people’s bonds with land and sky, language and shared memory.
As a contemporary art institution with an extended role beyond Bangkok’s urban centre, BACC is committed to reinforcing the national art ecosystem, particularly in the regions. It aims to provide artists across Thailand with equitable opportunities to grow within the artistic landscape. This involves creating space for local expression, cultivating networks with civil society, state agencies, and academic institutions – both within the country and internationally. Such efforts form part of BACC’s long-term mission.
Established in 2025, the Local Networking Project was born out of the aspiration to offer a platform for regional artists to explore and narrate their own stories through contemporary art. The project takes the form of rotating fieldwork-based researches across various parts of the country, where artists immerse themselves in local contexts – exploring myths, oral histories, undocumented narratives, and the contemporary lives of communities – before transforming these insights into artworks embedded with time, memory, and local-based meaning.
The exhibition’s title, The Intrinsic Aesthetic, does not merely call for appreciation of visible or material beauty. It prompts us to question what we mean by ‘beauty’ – and more crucially, who defines it. Local aesthetic sensibilities, formed through coexistence and mutual understanding, stand in contrast to those shaped by global norms and dominant narratives. Here, beauty is not a static ideal but a process – formed through interpretation, perception, and intercultural negotiation.
Within this process, the artist assumes the role of researcher, observer, and co-creator of new local meanings. Through artistic practice, stories once relegated to the margins are brought into collective visibility. The exhibition expands the scope of contemporary art, reconnecting it with cultural depth and lived experience, while contributing to a creative economy defined by identity and rooted in place.
Furthermore, the project seeks to empower marginalised artists and local communities by enabling their participation in national and international art circuits with dignity. The bridging of the centralised art system with regional creative practices goes beyond mere exhibition – it represents the shaping of a new ecosystem where diversity is nurtured on a foundation of equality.
In essence, The Intrinsic Aesthetic offers a new proposition for the development of contemporary art – one that does not abandon its local roots, but instead builds upon them as a foundation for meaningful global engagement. Beauty, after all, lies not only in appearances, but in relationships, memory, and our shared humanity across different lands.
Image Gallery
