Bright lights, big city

For those trying to find a spot to bask in the joyful mood after releasing a krathong into the Chao Phraya River tomorrow night, the charming neighbourhoods of Phra Nakhon-Pak Klong Talat have been turned into entertainment destinations for the seventh Awakening Bangkok, which runs until this Sunday.
Under the theme “One Light, One Rises”, the annual light and digital art festival widens its creative boundaries to include Yodpiman River Walk, Museum Siam, Saranrom Park, Phraeng Phuthon, Bangkok City Hall and Romaneenart Park, which are being illuminated with a stunning collection of 36 multimedia art installations by local and international designers, as well as university students.
To ease walking tours and remove parking worries, festival-goers can choose to leave their cars at home and make use of the MRT network. It’s the perfect place to begin a nocturnal odyssey as Museum Siam’s historic facade has been converted into a massive screen for a projection mapping show titled Unikko 60th Anniversary.
Meanwhile, Marimekko, known for its iconic poppy print created by textile designer Maija Isola, brings delight to daily life by incorporating the unikko pattern into lifestyle products, which represents resilience in Finland’s challenging climate. As part of its 60th anniversary celebrations taking place around the world, Alternate Reality Studio in Thailand employs this floral pattern as inspiration to encourage people to flourish no matter what happens.
Just a short stroll to Yodpiman River Walk, STUX2 invites visitors to reimagine historical sites on the Thon Buri side for fresh practical functions through Across From Here, Across From Now.
Located on the 2nd floor, a series of light installations come in different hues and forms. For example, a green square represents the Memorial Bridge, white circles are modelled after Wat Prayun and Santa Cruz Church, a wall of Bodhi leaves symbolises other neighbouring Buddhist temples in the area and a staircase is inspired by Vichai Prasit Fort.
The 3rd floor is turned into a visual flower garden where visitors can immerse themselves in the Blooming Pace projection mapping show and discover many stages of individual growth. By scanning a QR code, visitors can select one of four flower shapes to signify where you are in life.
Like life paths where every step has its own rhythm, each flower blooms at its own pace and has its own beauty. This work serves as a reminder that when the right time comes, each person will bloom in their own way, just like flowers.
With the Chao Phraya River and the starry sky as the backdrop, Bob Light And Bob Rise emerge onto a balcony. Created by Bob the Nice Guy, the famous white smiling character with friends makes a comeback to spread happiness throughout the neighbourhood.
Located around 850m from Pak Klong Talat, Saranrom Park allows visitors to play ghost hunters in Spirits Playground, created by Playgrid. According to local beliefs that spirits dwell in trees, a series of endearing animated characters are projected onto a long-living tall tree to depict various activities including picnics, exercise and walks in the park. This illustrates how people and nature can live in harmony.
Just a few steps away, Animal Utopia by Quality Room takes visitors back in 1893, when the park initially opened, and then later turned into Thailand’s first zoo for 45 years to house wild animals. Visitors can paint pictures of animals and project them onto a giant screen to relive nostalgic experiences, creating the impression they are being released back into the mythical forest.
Meanwhile, genius engineer Kamin Phakdurong blends his piano skills and modern multimedia technology to create the Echoes Of The Moon Rise installation. It recounts the love story behind the timeless ballad Lao Duang Duen that Prince Phichai Mahintharodom wrote for Princess Chomchuen of Chiang Mai.
Through projection mapping and lighting displays, the Moon-inspired animated character Nong Chomchuen glows in the middle of the classic octagonal pavilion, expressing the spectrum of emotions she feels as she misses her beloved ones. She appears to be dancing in the moonlight to conjure the nostalgic recollections of this pavilion, which was used as a stage for ballroom dancing and musical performances during the reign of King Rama VI.
In partnership with iLight Festival Singapore, Bottle Blooms brightens the park to promote a reconsideration of waste and the transforming power of discarded materials. They are crafted from over 300 recycled PET bottles through a public collecting campaign in order to symbolise the life cycle of materials and advocate a comprehensive integration of plastics into the circular economy by using PET recycling.
In the Phraeng Phuthon neighbourhood, the Glow In Bloom installation turns an empty space behind The Knight House Bangkok into a glistening lotus pond. The lotus leaves are made of textiles and embellished with small lightbulbs, while the walls are covered in projection mapping that use light and shadow to provide natural ambience in keeping with the hotel’s artistic theme.
On another side, Craftsman Roastery in Old Town has emerged as a gathering place for lone wolves to discuss their experiences of solitude while interacting at Alone, Together. Using photo motion techniques, visitors can explore city dwellers’ everyday lives in a Sam Yot shophouse. You might just discover that you’re not alone, since others also experience loneliness.
As visitors continue, they will come upon the Distorted lighting installation that creates a kingdom of cats hidden in light and shadow, and conveys the tale of a forgotten street’s hidden presence.
P. Space Cafe’s 2nd floor replicates the revitalising ambience of Pak Klong Talat, which is known as Bangkok’s biggest flower market. Artist Peeranut Pimdee’s vivid projection mapping installation, Dancing With Flowers, offers visitors an interactive experience in which their movements are interpreted by the blooms, creating the illusion of dancing in a field of hibiscus, sunflower, peony and jasmine.
Created by Inner Tiger, the Good Old Days multimedia installation shows how the Yong Seng Lee firm continues to adapt to modernity throughout time. Four hand-painted Chinese lanterns depict the restaurant’s history, which started as a bar during World War II and then changed to a Hainanese hot pot restaurant and later a curry and rice shop. The owners returned to their Chinese roots after the Covid-19 outbreak by launching a new cuisine with stir-fried Hainanese-style sukiyaki and crispy balls made from pork and shrimp.
A tour may come to a conclusion at Romaneenart Park, which provides a wide playground for Bangkok University students to showcase their artistic talents. Once as a prison during the reign of King Rama V, this historical site is revived with the Forest Of Freedom projection mapping installation, designed by CDE 2.
By scanning a QR code, visitors can play an online psychological mind game to discover their personality through four different bird species — peacock (a gregarious person with cheery spirits); eagle (a challenge seeker with a resolute mind); dove (a shy introvert); and owl (a perfectionist). You may then colour your bird and let it soar, conquering challenges and embracing change.
Rise By The Halo created by CDE 1 is a projection mapping installation that welcomes guests with flame-like animated characters that stand for optimism and vitality. Visitors can write letters on paper to vent their negative emotions in the Lumen Vill setting, and Halo will burn it and send back positive messages to uplift your spirits.
Visitors can also explore the aquatic realm through the Dream Light House projection mapping, created by artist collective Saeng Song Jai. Visitors can design their own boats that represent goals and aspirations, while a lighthouse flashes to guide a sailor who braves the waters and surrounding darkness.
Until this Sunday, Awakening Bangkok 2024 takes place from 6pm-11pm at Museum Siam, Yodpiman River Walk-Pak Klong Talat, Saranrom Park, Phraeng Phuthon, Bangkok City Hall and Romaneenart Park. Admission is free. Find out more at facebook.com/Awakeningfestivals.