The second edition of Pagad Festival: Awakening Chiang Rai's Market Through Art returns to the northern province from July 24 until Aug 2 at Municipal Market 1 (Gad Luang) on Thanalai Road.
The festival is hosted by Everywhere Gallery -- a creative network of Chiang Rai locals from a wide range of professions, built on the belief that "everywhere is a gallery" that contemporary art must engage with the context of place, people and society.
It is supported by the Creative Economy Agency, Chiang Rai Municipality and more than 50 local partners.
Taking its name from the charming northern Thai phrase "meet (pa) at the market (gad)", the festival brings art together with the local wisdom and identity of the Gad Luang community.
Artists from across Chiang Rai and beyond are to transform this historic market into a "Living Art Museum", designed with an eye towards long-term benefit for the city, not just the festival period itself.
This year, the festival is themed around "Playing With Things", reinterpreting everyday market objects through contemporary artistic processes, turning them into storytelling media that reflect the roots of Chiang Rai, where Lanna culture blends with the ways of life of ethnic groups and neighbouring countries, all within this multicultural market.
Highlights of this year's edition include more than 30 art installations made from local Chiang Rai materials, created by over 40 artists; street art and hidden photo spots scattered throughout the market; local food with the "Made In Gad Luang" experience redesigned for international visitors; the "Rod Noi" little public truck tour around the market to join a variety of workshops; more than 20 Chiang Rai Street Shows, including market-centre stage plays, open-air film screenings, a Chiang Rai memorial song contest, a northern Thai fashion show and a youth dance competition.
Visit facebook.com/EverywhereGallery for more information.
