In conversation with Dr Miwako Tezuka, Director of Dib Bangkok

“Dib is an educational space, but created with the really strong intention to make it approachable for broad scope of audience.”

 - Dr Miwako Tezuka

Miwako Tezuka. Image credit Ketsiree Wongwan

ดิบ. dib (adj.), raw, natural or authentic state

Just opened at the end of 2025, Dib Bangkok is already a cultural landmark, introducing a bold new chapter for Southeast Asia. Simply stepping foot on the site is an experience, and one which – having visited Thailand regularly throughout my life – is rightfully generating excitement both locally and internationally. Taking its name from the Thai word dib, meaning “raw” or “natural, authentic state,” this ethos is reflected in its mission, design, and programming – all rooted in both regional specificity and global dialogue. From the vast entry, you get a sense of the ambition, stretching out through a broad plaza, where marble globes by Alicja Kwade sit like a miniature solar system, towards the gallery entrances and up towards James Turrell’s permanent installation Straight Up, his first in Thailand. Designed by WHY Architecture, this three-story converted warehouse introduces an austere, concrete aesthetic, preserving the building’s industrial origin at the same time as embracing an intimate, contemplative atmosphere across its outdoor spaces and impressive galleries. From its nostalgic, original Thai-Chinese window grilles to the main building’s iconic sawtooth roof and theiconic cone-shaped “Chapel,” Dib is a place for exploration and contemplation. And with a permanent collection dedicated to global contemporary art, its focus is similarly on works that challenge perceptions, spark dialogue, and invite deep reflection.

The inaugural exhibition, which runs until 3 August 2026, (In)visible Presence transforms the museum into a multisensory exploration of memory and the human condition, where visitors encounter major installations by Montien Boonma and Somboon Hormtientong, large-scale sculptures by Lee Bul and Anselm Kiefer, and paintings by a diverse range of artists such as Alex Katz, YureeKensaku, and Jessie Homer French.

Dib Bangkok’s inaugural Director, Dr Miwako Tezuka, has been steering the vision alongside the architectural team for the last two years prior to its opening, following leadership roles at several prominent institutions in New York. We were fortunate to have some time with her, to discuss the museum’s architecture and curatorial approach, and gain fresh insights into the evolving possibilities of contemporary art across Bangkok, Thailand and the region.

There was such a buzz around the opening of Dib Bangkok. What were the main challenges in bringing this to fruition?

I was based in New York originally, so I moved to Bangkok two years prior to the opening. When I joined, it was really my first priority to build out the team who run the museum, especially focusing on the core team for exhibition making. When I joined, there were only two full time staff who used to work with Khun Petch Osathanugrah, a Thai businessman and collector who initiated creating the museum and who had passed away before we opened. However, though it was really challenging to really form the museum staff, the location itself was already set, and it made sense to me, because it's right next to the former city campus of Bangkok University, which had also been founded by the Osathanugrah family.

Dib Bangkok. Image credit W Workspace. Image courtesy of Dib Bangkok.

How far along was the building at that stage?

I would say it was 85-90% done already. So, when I joined I was only advising on certain areas in terms of facility details and space allocation for different types of usage. A change programmatically that I suggested and turned around was for the chapel, which is the tubular structure. Initially it was assigned to have one work permanently installed, but it was such a unique design, that I wanted to really take advantage of that to showcase something more related to each exhibition.

It's a really iconic structure. I think the chapel, along with our saw tooth roof motif, have been two visual identities that we are associated with.

James Turrell, Straight Up 1988, Realized in 2025. Courtesy of Dib Bangkok. Photographer Auntika Ounjittichai, 2025.

Yes, that space is fantastic, the way it can be experienced from different perspectives, and even from the outside. There is a considerable part of Dib which you can enjoy outside of the ticketed exhibitions – the sculptures and permanent installations for example. Was that always an important part of concept?

I think it came with the initial architectural design philosophy, because we were so lucky to work with Kulapat Yantrasast, from WHY Architecture, who obviously understands what the community needs, and then also how people really engage with the present, and what they enjoy. We decided that we needed an open plaza, in a European way, you know, a type of open space that people can regularly come to gather together and have casual conversations. So, I think that open space inside the courtyard area is especially important for us in creating our identity as a museum.

I believe there are many who come to simply enjoy the installations outside. But so far, I think most people who come visit us are also actually entering the museum and also engaging with the exhibition inside. In that sense it has been such a wonderful and rewarding moment to see how people deeply engage with what we are doing.

Do you personally have any favourite nooks that you enjoy spending time when you're not at the desk in the office?

Yes, I have two nooks. Nooks is a good way of describing it. One is sort of a transitionary moment. On the north side of our building, we have vestibules, so on the second level and third level, as you come up from the staircase, there is a window facing north, and it's covered with the original Thai-Chinese window grills. That space – those two-level spaces – offer such atmospheric momentsdepending on the time of the day. I really love that moment, because it really reminds us of what was there before, and the industrial past and how it is transforming itself, just like Bangkok as a city itself.

The other space that I feel I can always go to take a quiet moment is the lower chamber of James Turrell's permanent installation called Straight Up. The lower level is little bit of a secret spot, I would say, because people always talk about the Turrell sky space, but that's only half of that work. The upper chamber is the sky space, but the lower chamber is essentially the camera obscura. When you pick a right time, when the sky is clear and if there are moving clouds in the sky, you can see that image projected upside down on the marble floor, which is a really magical moment, and it's usually very quiet. I think it is that moment of quiet that we as a museum as a whole are trying to provide to the audience here.

Dib Bangkok. Image credit W Workspace. Image courtesy of Dib Bangkok.

Is this the sort of experience that you think Bangkok as a creative city – and a city for contemporary art – has been needing?

The city has so much to offer. One thing about it is that it is always changing. But one thing that had been missing is the kind of place for art and the space that is constantly there, constantly offering these opportunities of for education and in-person encounters with works from around the world. So, I think that's very important responsibility for us to keep it going that way.

Yes, and across Bangkok itself, there are many spaces that are being converted for various uses, such as luxury hotels or art spaces. How do you see these changes as part of Bangkok’s identity as a creative city?

I think that in order for Bangkok to mature as a really cosmopolitan city, as a destination for international visitors, one thing that the city still needs is this artistic, reflective moment. Where it is not just entertainment, it is not just spectacle, but it's also something whereby that you can spend time and learn about art. And it's my personal belief that art really is an educational tool from which you can learn about so many different cultures, diversities of people, and often learn about the location itself.

I'm new to Thailand. I'm new to the region itself, but I have learned so much from different artists I have met here and the different artists we are showcasing, especially from Thailand. It's such a great educational opportunity. Dib is an educational space, but created with the really strong intention to make it approachable for broad scope of audience. It's not just for those who are already educated, who are already deeply informed – which there are. But also for people who might come here and be surprised by what an engaging cultural moment we are offering. So, I think that's important – amongst the many, many shopping malls.

Anselm Kiefer, Der verlorene Buchstabe, 2019. Courtesy of Dib Bangkok. Photographer Auntika Ounjittichai, 2025. 

Has the museum been well received specifically by the Bangkok audience?

For the first phase of after the opening, we've had really great positive response. And we are very, very happy to hear that there are many visitors who have come multiple times. Already there are people who in the first few months have come back to us two times, three times, four times. So that's a very, very good sign. So, what we need to keep doing for those repeat visitors is robust programs, whether that be catered to the general public or more focused on students or those who want to learn specifically about art and art history. Those are the things that our team is coordinating and will start to implement very soon.

Montien Boonma, Zodiac Houses, 1998–1999. Courtesy of Dib Bangkok. Photographer Monruedee Jansuttipan, 2025. 

In terms of the general Bangkok scene, there are some places that are well established, others new, others more grassroots. What would you say is the most exciting thing about art in Bangkok right now?

It's really not just one or two places or upcoming locations, but it's just how all of these multiple hot spots are coming together all at once, which we didn't exactly plan together. It’s all organically happening right now. So the excitement exists in this kind of collective energy that is building. We're very, very much interested in collaborating with all the institutions and organisations that have been here for a long time, like Jim Thompson Art Centre and new joiners like Kunsthalle, or more public spaces like BACC. We just signed up as a collateral project organisation for the upcoming Bangkok Biennale, so we're in conversation with them to design programs that align with what their main theme is, which is “Angels and Mara” – it's going to really be a creation of the entire map of Bangkok, with art and culture in the centre.

In the past few decades, there have been periods of two years or three years of exciting moments, where these collective energies or artistic initiatives have come together. But this time I think scale of excitement feels different. Because each organisation has its different mission, and they have their own unique approach to art and how to provide it to the broader audience – but at the same time all of us are very collaborative. So, I think this time, we may be able to collectively create some sustainable engagement with art, both institutionally and programmatically. This is one reason why we all feel like we're getting closer and closer to the tipping point to bring Bangkok as a real art destination.

It's such an opportunity. I mean, two biennales happening in one country, one really focused on Bangkok, a metropolitan city, but also the Thailand Biennale focused on regional voices. I think that's such a great way of diversifying the types of artists and programs and projects that we can all bring here and collaborate on. So, this diversity and organic energy is something quite unique in Thailand. And also people here are so open to changes. People are very flexible. People are not afraid to pivot and take opportunities, take perhaps risks as well. I think that's very unique to this country.

It's true that each organisation has its clear vision. Whenever I talk to Zoe from DeCentral, or Marisa and Stefano from Kunsthalle, or Kim from BACC, we all are passionate about art and the new values that art can create for people, but we all go about it in a different way. And artists are always inspirational. We are constantly inspired by those creatives. And Thailand has many, many creatives.

For more information visit dibbangkok.org

Interview by Tani Burns