Creative spaces modeling a greener future

Indeed, “art is medicine for the soul.” In today’s hyperpolarized and anxious world, art gives us a place to sit with uncertainty — to breathe, reflect, and confront the vastness of human experience. And just as art heals, art spaces, too, can model the kind of sustainable future we long for.

- BILLIE DUMALIANG

'The Last Embrace for Little Forest' echoes the forest's muted plea: 'remember me, protect me, choose me.'

This realization came to me while wandering through the maze of creative shops at Chiang Mai’s Baan Kang Wat, a beloved artist village tucked away in one of the city’s calmer corners. The experience was delightfully dizzying: a feast of colors and textures, the smell of fresh paint and coffee, the gentle chatter of artists at work. Traditional Lanna-style wooden houses, along with sensitively repurposed structures, serve as studios and storefronts. Nothing is air-conditioned — only the mountain breeze flows freely through the open spaces. For introverts like me, it is easy to settle quietly into a charming café and simply absorb the quirky atmosphere.

But beyond the aesthetics, what struck me most was the market’s sincere commitment to sustainability.

At the entrance stands a simple but powerful sign: “No plastics.” It is a declaration that this space chooses to respect the earth — and invites you to do the same. Inside, waste segregation baskets are clearly labeled for drinking cups, bottles, cans, and even leftover ice. Bottle caps and scrap metals have been transformed into sculptures shaped like squids and whales, hanging playfully from the trellis.