'The Spirits Of Maritime Crossing 2026", which features 20 artists from Southeast Asia, Serbia and Ireland, is currently on view as one of the Collateral Events of the 61st International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia at Palazzo Rocca Contarini Corfù, Venice.
Curated by Prof Apinan Poshyananda, chief executive and artistic director of Bangkok Art Biennale, and supported by ThaiBev and One Bangkok, the exhibition is open now and will run until Aug 2.
Presented by the Bangkok Art Biennale Foundation, "The Spirits Of Maritime Crossing 2026" reflects on how artists transform shared experiences of loss, rupture, and transition into poetic forms of connection. Highlights include new collaborative works and a short film created especially for the exhibition.
"In this edition, 20 artists from Southeast Asia, Serbia and Ireland examine cultural flows through migration, diaspora and dislocation as a result of colonisation, war and environmental detriment," explained Prof Apinan.
"The hum in minor keys of the voiceless from distant places is brought to Venice. Shifting into a slower gear with meditative deep breaths, viewers experience through film, performance, sound, painting and installation multiple interpretations of spirits of maritime crossing."
As a curator, Prof Apinan prioritises conveying the diversity of the region through the perspectives of 20 artists. Though they come from various backgrounds in terms of nationality, religion, language and life experiences, their works are profoundly interconnected under this theme. Each piece reflects human sensitivity and long-standing intercultural relationships.
In this exhibition, the ocean currents serve as a significant symbol which is a powerful force carrying memories, narratives and identities from distant shores to converge in Venice, a city with a history of seafaring, commerce and cultural exchange.
At the heart of the presentation is Marina Abramović's performance Sea Punishing, staged with hundreds of participants whipping the sea in reference to King Xerxes' act of punishing destructive waters -- a poignant remembrance of the Andaman Sea tsunami.
A new film, The Spirits of Maritime Crossing Part II, follows Abramović alongside Pichet Klunchun, Mutmee Pimdao Panichsamai, Aleksandar Timotić and Amanda Coogan on a spiritual journey between Venice and Bangkok, tracing themes of suffering, solitude and transcendence.
For more information, visit facebook.com/smc.bkkartbiennale.
