Seeing with eyes closed

Tuck Bangkok's inaugural exhibition explores the intersection of spiritual voids, family lineage and the invisible world

- STORY: SUWITCHA CHAIYONG

Artwork by Sadaharu Horio. A photograph of Japanese artist Sadaharu Horio.

Amidst the hustle and bustle of Bangkok, with streets congested with people and vehicles even late at night, Tuck Bangkok, an Asian art and design sanctuary located near BTS Phrom Phong, does not offer only serenity and peace, but is also a living environment where the visible world and invisible world meet.

Established by Tuck Muntarbhorn, an artist and cultural thinker, the name Tuck Bangkok is derived from the Thai word tuck which means to greet. Therefore, Tuck Bangkok literally means to greet Bangkok. Tuck emphasised that Tuck Bangkok operates not as a gallery or showroom, but as a living environment.

Tuck explained that the idea of Tuck Bangkok came because there was no art gallery that was deliberately created to replicate a home and living environment. The point of Tuck Bangkok is that when people see artwork, they will get a feel of what it would look like in a real home.

"As Tuck Bangkok means greeting Bangkok, it is an invitation for friends across Asia to greet Bangkok through the space. I have connections with many Korean and Japanese galleries as my aesthetic naturally aligns with Korean and Japanese art. Since I like Zen art, the front of Tuck Bangkok's architecture resembles a Thai temple, but the interior looks a bit like a Japanese temple."

Tuck, who identifies as they/them to reflect the balance of yin and yang, is based in London. Thus, Tuck Bangkok aims to be an invite-only space and annually opens only in the winter season from December to January. However, during its inauguration, it will be open until Sunday.

"The Observer" is the first exhibition on display at Tuck Bangkok. The title was inspired by the British publication The Observer, which was established in 1791. Tuck chose this title because they unintentionally graced the cover of The Observer in November last year.