Nikki Blog

A Lack in quality museums and art galleries is nothing new to Thailand. The ones you can find in Bangkok are usually small and lacking in various aspects, and outside the capital they are virtually non-existent. I yearn to make people see Thailand as the espresso of creativity and culture, not instant Oishi green tea of tastelessness. And for that, one thing we really need is some world-class cultural institutions. These will not only educate the locals and create the draw for upscale tourism, but also help Thailand distinguish itself from its déclassé copycat neighbors.

Cultural investment will also have a stabilizing effect to the society. We are surrounded by a political circumstance that makes people want to tear up art work rather than make one. Soon when this has passed, we will want to get on with our business and rediscover our passion for the finer things in life.

There are many cities around the world that revitalized themselves by building fancy museums. Bilbao in Spain, a once depressed region, built a branch of the famous Guggenheim museum. The museum has contributed $2 billion to Spain’s GDP since its inception in 1997 and draws in 9 million visitors a year. Many others wealthy nations have tried to replicate this model by hiring the best architectural firms, or lining up other well known museums to lend its name and art. But this has come with an expensive price tag, which there is no way Thailand’s limited resources could ever handle.

Abu Dhabi, a petrodollar rich country for example, has agreed to pay $520 million just to use the name “Lourve” for 30 years, and to spend over $700 million for art loans and advice. The ominous parallel of Abu Dhabi art project could be the Guggenheim in Las Vegas. No body went to see it, and it is likely that the same thing will be repeated in the desert oasis or in Thailand if we ever to follow them.

Thailand is ripe for a highbrow renaissance. We could reinvigorate the great cultural Siam art, but this time a little bit more contemporary, equipped with creativity and planning. What we need is an artistic institution that builds on our own Thai identity. We don’t want to just spend million of dollars borrowing art works or renowned museum names from other countries. People should come to visit Thailand for the quality of ingenuous art work that is created here, not for the mockery of Thailand’s pretensions. Culture cannot be bought, and think if it is bought, who are we really enriching in the process of doing so?

So if we agree that way to go is not paying for fake fantasies like borrowing the Lourve, or buying the Guggenheim and the Sorbonne like the Arab ladies buying handbags from Christian Dior, let’s look at how we can go about transforming Thailand into the rich cultural place we want to see. Thailand will have to build up and create its own collections. We have to do it our own way to suit local tastes, while not forgetting to reach for a broader, universal appeal.

In order to bridge the gap in becoming a global player, new strategies need to be evolved, keeping in view the strengths and cultural challenges relevant to Thailand. Nations that fail to take necessary steps to meet this challenge will remain as passive consumers of ideas emanating from countries that are creatively dynamic and able to commercially exploit these ideas.

Design methods and processes which were once taught in traditional art and design schools are no longer entirely valid. Perhaps Thailand educational institutions should look at the US based IDEO, the largest and most successful design company in the world, for inspirations. Most of the staffs that are considered as designers are increasingly those who haven’t gone to art school. They are professionals who have studied human science, business and management consulting, brand & communications design, architecture, various technologies.

Co-creation and co-designing are the buzzwords of the creative economy. Technologies like Facebook, Wikis, and Mashup let us combine people into communities, ideas into culture, and existing platforms into new ones. Infused with original local ideas, something new, something exciting, will certainly emerge. We could be on the verge of the Thainaissance period.