A painting of a gust of wind, music inspired by memories of summer, the warm scent of herbal medicines. The artworks in this exhibition ask: how do we remember what is dear to us, yet invisible? As Dib Bangkok’s inaugural show, (In)visible Presence honors the countless individuals—some of whom have passed away—who transformed this museum from a dream on the horizon into reality.
Drawing from a collection shaped over three decades and expanded through new collaborations, the exhibition brings together 81 works by 40 contemporary artists, many showing in Thailand for the first time. Through sound, scent, light, and unconventional materials, the artworks enable us to sense what cannot be seen.
Spanning the museum’s three floors, the exhibition follows shifting relationships between material, memory, and the unseen. Level 1 introduces artworks that transform commonplace materials into surprising forms, echoing the experimental legacy of 1960–80s movements like arte povera and their enduring influence. Level 2 brings together works that drift between memory and imagination, with altered diaries and salvaged objects evoking the stories we hold but rarely speak. Level 3 includes a feature display of artist Montien Boonma, whose monumental installations using scent and negative space offer a path toward healing.
Taken together, the exhibition offers us a moment to attune to the invisible forces that move through us and remind us of who we are today.