Dib Bangkok unveils major exhibition ‘Giving Life’

Just eight months after opening its doors and taking the global art scene by storm, Dib Bangkok has announced its second major exhibition, “Giving Life” (“Cheewit Cheewa”). The upcoming showcase cements the venue’s rapidly growing status as Thailand's premier non-profit international contemporary art museum.

Running from 26 September to 3 May 2027, the ambitious exhibition features over 160 works by 33 local and international artists spanning sculpture, painting, film, installation and performance. The headline pull is a rare selection of masterworks by the legendary American sculptor Alexander Calder. The exhibition anchors itself around Calder’s revolutionary work, joining global commemorations marking the 50th anniversary of his passing, as well as the centennial of his move to France in 1926. By showcasing a monumental mobile from its collection, Dib Bangkok joins major global institutions including MoMA, Tate Modern, and Centre Pompidou in celebrating his legacy.

Dib Bangkok announces its 2nd major exhibition “Giving Life”.//Photo courtesy of Dib Bangkok

“What is life without movement? Our first exhibition, ‘Invisible Presence’, gathered the initial molecules that formed Dib Bangkok’s DNA. Now, we are ready to bring this living body into its second chapter,” says Dr Miyako Tezuka, Director of Dib Bangkok. Referencing the classic motto Ars longa, vita brevis (Art is long, life is short), Dr Tezuka adds: “In a contemporary world marked by friction and struggle, art gives us hope, saves our humanity, and offers new perspectives on how we exist.”

Curator Ariana Chaiwaranon frames the exhibition as a celebration of transformation and human resilience. “This exhibition is a love letter to artists—the people who breathe life into raw materials,” she explains. “The artworks here behave more like living organisms than objects: some breathe, some dance, some grow, and some even break down. By making creations that become creatures in their own right, these artists insist on life itself—reflecting our own power to change.”

Alexander Calder, Untitled, 1963 - to be on view at Dib Bangkok.//Photo courtesy of Calder Foundation, New York / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

Spanning three floors, ‘Giving Life’ creates a dynamic dialogue between Calder’s kinetic heritage and contemporary masterworks:

Alexander Calder: Showcases a monumental mobile — the delicately balanced steel structures famously described by philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre as “strange creatures existing between matter and life".

Interactive & Participatory Art features Sutee Kunavichayanont’s inflatable sculptures where visitors literally donate their own breath to give the work life, alongside Rirkrit Tiravanija’s communal culinary experiences where audience participation completes the artwork.

Dynamic Kinetic Works: Includes Paul Chan’s animated The Breathers series and Rachel Yu’s dancing kinetic sculptures crafted from second-hand machinery that slowly wear down over time.

Thai Contemporary Masters: Presents Vasan Sitthiket’s politically charged Inferno series—where visitors can physically rearrange the panels to alter the landscape—alongside works by Araya Rasdjarmrearnsook and an extensive Archive Zone tracing Calder’s historical influence on Thai performance and installation art.

The exhibition comes on the heels of remarkable international acclaim for Dib Bangkok. Within its first eight months, the institution earned spots on TIME’s World’s Greatest Places 2026, was hailed as “Thailand’s answer to New York’s MoMA” by Monocle, and was named a finalist for Cathay Pacific’s Asia’s Best New Attraction.

Founding Chairman Purat Osathanugrah frames this next step as part of a long-term strategy for local creative enrichment. To deepen community engagement, the museum is officially launching the “Dib Membership” initiative to grow a lasting network of arts patrons.