The Museum of Contemporary Art is an
art museum
An art museum or art gallery is a building or space for the display of art, usually from the museum's own collection. It might be in public or private ownership and may be accessible to all or have restrictions in place. Although primarily con ...
in
Bangkok
Bangkok, officially known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estimated populati ...
,
Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...
. It is privately owned by business executive
Boonchai Bencharongkul, and was opened in 2012. The museum, one of the largest contemporary art museums in Asia, features an extensive collection of works by many famous Thai artists, including
Thawan Duchanee,
Hem Vejakorn,
Chalermchai Kositpipat and
Prateep Kochabua.
MOCA houses a sizable collection of priceless artwork made by renowned Thai painters and sculptors. The main goal of the museum was to constantly share, spread, and preserve true Thai art and culture with both Thais and others from across the world, especially the next generation.
Artworks
There are 5 floor in Moca where in each floor display different theme of
art
Art is a diverse range of human activity, and resulting product, that involves creative or imaginative talent expressive of technical proficiency, beauty, emotional power, or conceptual ideas.
There is no generally agreed definition of wha ...
1st floor
There are four display halls. Two rooms are available for temporary exhibits, and another two halls are used to display the works of two National Artists and a Sculptor of Distinction. The exhibition features sculptures by national artist Professor
Chalood Nimsamer, as well as paintings that highlight important facets of current
Thai art
Traditional Thai art is primarily composed of Buddhist art and scenes from the Indian epics. Traditional Thai sculpture almost exclusively depicts images of the Buddha, being very similar with the other styles from Southeast Asia, such as Khmer ...
. Additionally on show are pieces b
Paitun Muangsomboon who is also a National Artist in Sculpture. Additionally on show are pieces b
a Thai modern sculpture pioneer and an Artist of Distinction. The works of Yimsiri are innovative, distinctive, and seamlessly combine
Thainess
Thainess or the Thai identity ( th, ความเป็นไทย, ) is a conceptual identity regarding the quality of being Thai, i.e. characteristics seen as distinctive to the Thai people, their culture, and those belonging to Thailand as a ...
and universality. His idea was influenced by Thai heritage and culture in general as well as the design of Buddha images from the
Sukhothai Period
The Sukhothai Kingdom ( th, สุโขทัย, , IAST: , ) was a post-classical Thai kingdom (mandala) in Mainland Southeast Asia surrounding the ancient capital city of Sukhothai in present-day north-central Thailand. The kingdom was fou ...
.
2nd floor
The exhibition features a wide range of unique viewpoints. Every piece of art depicts the way of life and social events of the modern day. A collection of mixed-media works by national artist in visual art
Kamol Tassananchaleeare on exhibit in the lobby. He is a creator of art who has independently established his own artistic identity.
3rd floor
This floor shows magnificent works of current Thai art and incredibly innovative artwork. Works by a number of artists, includin
Sompop Budtarad Chuang Moolpinit
an
are included. The "House of Phimphilalai" is a room that is devoted to the Thai classical literature of
Khun Chang and Khun Paen. It focuses particularly on Phimphilalai, a stunning woman who was the subject of a fight between two men, as shown in two ways by two artists from two distinct generations,
Hem Vejkorn and Sukee Som-ngoen.
4th floor
There are a variety of works created by
Thawan Duchanee, a renowned artist and philosopher from Thailand who received the National Artist in Painting award in 2001. Included are various
oil paintings
Oil painting is the process of painting with pigments with a medium of drying oil as the binder. It has been the most common technique for artistic painting on wood panel or canvas for several centuries, spreading from Europe to the rest of ...
on canvas, drawings, carvings in wood, and weaponry made by this incredibly unique and artistic skill. Additionally, a room including works b
Tawee NandakwangChakrapan Posayakrit and
Angkarn Kalayanapongsa is devoted to Great Thai Artists. The three enormous modern paintings depicting The Three Kingdoms (containing Heaven, Middle Earth, and Hell) by three painters
Sompop Budtarad and Prateep Kochabua, are another feature of this level.
5th floor
The floor displays modern art from different nations, including the USA, China, Vietnam, Malaysia, Japan, Russia, Italy, and Norway. The most accomplished Romantic artists' paintings are on display in the iconic Richard Green room, which has a curved roof and resembles a European museum. When
Queen Victoria
Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 216 days was longer than that of any previo ...
ascended to the British throne, the fashion was still popular. It was also popular when the Great
King Rama V
Chulalongkorn ( th, จุฬาลงกรณ์, 20 September 1853 – 23 October 1910) was the fifth monarch of Siam under the House of Chakri, titled Rama V. He was known to the Siamese of his time as ''Phra Phuttha Chao Luang'' (พร ...
made his first trip to Europe in 1897. There are works by
John William Godward
John William Godward (9 August 1861 – 13 December 1922) was an English painter from the end of the Neo-Classicist era. He was a protégé of Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema, but his style of painting fell out of favour with the rise of modern ...
and
Sir Lawrence Alma Tadema. These paintings, some of which date back nearly three centuries, are all determined to be remarkably well-preserved.
Gallery
File:Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), Bangkok, Thailand - 20161201-08.jpg, The Museum of Contemporary Art
Image:Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), Bangkok, Thailand - 20161201-04.jpg, The sculpture in front of the Museum
Image:Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), Bangkok, Thailand - 20161201-00.jpg, Inside the Museum
Image:Thongchai Srisukprasert, Kama (2014), Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), Bangkok Thailand - 20161201-02.jpg, ''Kama'' (2014), by Thongchai Srisukprasert, on display near the entrance
Image:Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), Bangkok, Thailand - 20161201-02.jpg, ''Great Hornbill Lady'' (2012) by Thongchai Srisukprasert at the entrance of the Museum
File:Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), Bangkok, Thailand - 20161201-06.jpg, The Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) in Bangkok
References
Museums in Bangkok
Art museums and galleries in Thailand
Chatuchak district
Art museums established in 2012
2012 establishments in Thailand
Thai contemporary art
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