Bangkok on the Move:

Navin Rawanchaikul and Rirkrit Tiravanija's Whimsical Urban Adventure

26 July 2024 / by Christine Lee

A detailed pencil and ballpoint pen drawing depicts a futuristic, monochromatic Bangkok cityscape. Skyscrapers and construction cranes fill the scene. Notable is a large building rendered as an anthropomorphised robot with a determined expression, positioned as if ready to fight. The BTS Skytrain winds its way through this urban commotion. Atop the Skytrain, a tuk-tuk carries two passengers.

Curated by Hou Hanru and Hans Ulrich Obrist, Cities on the Move was a travelling exhibition that toured the world from 1997 to 1999. Its sixth and penultimate iteration, staged in Bangkok in 1999, was the sole show in Asia and was also the only edition that was not held within a major institution. Instead, artworks were presented in six sites scattered across the Thai capital, including the National Gallery and the Art Gallery at Silpakorn University’s Faculty of Painting Sculpture and Graphic Arts.

For this edition of Cities on the Move, artists Navin Rawanchaikul and Rirkrit Tiravanija produced a set of drawings consisting of forty-seven illustrated pages and one illustrated cover. The work’s title, Cities on the Move: Bangkok, was translated into Thai as ‘Muang Mee Kha: Krungthep’. ‘Muang Mee Kha’ means ‘City with Legs’, which refers to Bangkok’s evolution, while ‘Krungthep’ is Bangkok’s original name, which means ‘City of Angels’.

Rawanchaikul and Tiravanija initially planned on turning the drawings into a comic book to be distributed at exhibition venues across the city. They also wanted to create billboard paintings depicting scenes and captions from the comic. While the cover illustration was selected for the Cities on the Move 6 exhibition poster, limits on resources and the budget prevented the comic from being published.

Two side-by-side images. The left is a film-style poster for the ‘Cities on the Move VI’ exhibition, which displays a vibrant design with English and Thai text that reads ‘CITIES ON THE MOVE 6’. It features a character montage with a central figure holding handguns alongside scenes of a crowded tuk-tuk and a robot-like building. The right is a drawing for the same exhibition. This monochromatic illustration features a central tuk-tuk surrounded by faces and action scenes and the title ‘CITIES ON THE MOVE’ at the bottom. The text on the top reads: ‘NAVIN PRODUCTION PRESENTS... “CITIES ON THE MOVE” EXHIBITION BY NAVIN RAWANCHAIKUL & RIRKRIT TIRAVANIJA.’

Left: Poster for Cities on the Move VI, Bangkok, Thailand, 1999. Collection of National Gallery, Singapore. Right: Drawings, Cities on the Move: Bangkok (detail), 1999. Pencil and ballpoint pen on paper. M+, Hong Kong. © Navin Rawanchaikul, Rirkrit Tiravanija

Left: Poster for Cities on the Move VI, Bangkok, Thailand, 1999. Collection of National Gallery, Singapore. Right: Drawings, Cities on the Move: Bangkok (detail), 1999. Pencil and ballpoint pen on paper. M+, Hong Kong. © Navin Rawanchaikul, Rirkrit Tiravanija

Responding to Cities on the Move’s overall intention to examine Asia’s changing urban conditions, Rawanchaikul and Tiravanija’s illustrations place Bangkok’s architecture at the heart of a futuristic love story. Set against the backdrop of the 1997 Asian financial crisis, the story features Kosit, a struggling artist who has become a tuk-tuk driver. Kosit is invited by fictionalised versions of Rawanchaikul and Tiravanija to drive around Europe during Cities on the Move, which leads him to befriend the project’s curators, participants, and collaborators.

Curated by Hou Hanru and Hans Ulrich Obrist, Cities on the Move was a travelling exhibition that toured the world from 1997 to 1999. Its sixth and penultimate iteration, staged in Bangkok in 1999, was the sole show in Asia and was also the only edition that was not held within a major institution. Instead, artworks were presented in six sites scattered across the Thai capital, including the National Gallery and the Art Gallery at Silpakorn University’s Faculty of Painting Sculpture and Graphic Arts.

For this edition of Cities on the Move, artists Navin Rawanchaikul and Rirkrit Tiravanija produced a set of drawings consisting of forty-seven illustrated pages and one illustrated cover. The work’s title, Cities on the Move: Bangkok, was translated into Thai as ‘Muang Mee Kha: Krungthep’. ‘Muang Mee Kha’ means ‘City with Legs’, which refers to Bangkok’s evolution, while ‘Krungthep’ is Bangkok’s original name, which means ‘City of Angels’.

A drawing for the ‘Cities on the Move VI’ exhibition. This monochromatic illustration features a central tuk-tuk surrounded by faces and action scenes and the title ‘CITIES ON THE MOVE’ at the bottom. The text on the top reads: ‘NAVIN PRODUCTION PRESENTS... “CITIES ON THE MOVE” EXHIBITION BY NAVIN RAWANCHAIKUL & RIRKRIT TIRAVANIJA.’

Drawings, Cities on the Move: Bangkok (detail), 1999. Pencil and ballpoint pen on paper. M+, Hong Kong. © Navin Rawanchaikul, Rirkrit Tiravanija

Drawings, Cities on the Move: Bangkok (detail), 1999. Pencil and ballpoint pen on paper. M+, Hong Kong. © Navin Rawanchaikul, Rirkrit Tiravanija

Rawanchaikul and Tiravanija initially planned on turning the drawings into a comic book to be distributed at exhibition venues across the city. They also wanted to create billboard paintings depicting scenes and captions from the comic. While the cover illustration was selected for the Cities on the Move 6 exhibition poster, limits on resources and the budget prevented the comic from being published.

A film-style poster for the ‘Cities on the Move VI’ exhibition, which displays a vibrant design with English and Thai text that reads ‘CITIES ON THE MOVE 6’. It features a character montage with a central figure holding handguns alongside scenes of a crowded tuk-tuk and a robot-like building.

Poster for Cities on the Move VI, 1999, Bangkok, Thailand. Collection of National Gallery, Singapore

Poster for Cities on the Move VI, 1999, Bangkok, Thailand. Collection of National Gallery, Singapore

Responding to Cities on the Move’s overall intention to examine Asia’s changing urban conditions, Rawanchaikul and Tiravanija’s illustrations place Bangkok’s architecture at the heart of a futuristic love story. Set against the backdrop of the 1997 Asian financial crisis, the story features Kosit, a struggling artist who has become a tuk-tuk driver. Kosit is invited by fictionalised versions of Rawanchaikul and Tiravanija to drive around Europe during Cities on the Move, which leads him to befriend the project’s curators, participants, and collaborators.

The story reaches its climax as Kosit journeys back to Bangkok to reunite with his lover, Aom.

Having placed the car plate (no. 2542) received from Aom onto his tuk-tuk, it immediately transforms into a spaceship and takes him from 1999 to 2542.

Interestingly, since Thailand follows the Buddhist calendar, 1999 A.D. in Thailand is 543 years ahead, which is indicated as 2542.

The story reaches its climax as Kosit journeys back to Bangkok to reunite with his lover, Aom.

Having placed the car plate (no. 2542) received from Aom onto his tuk-tuk, it immediately transforms into a spaceship and takes him from 1999 to 2542.

Interestingly, since Thailand follows the Buddhist calendar, 1999 A.D. in Thailand is 543 years ahead, which is indicated as 2542.

Having travelled to 2542, Kosit is greeted by a version of Bangkok that has become a city of moving buildings, elevated walkways, and a dense agglomeration of unfinished structures—a reflection of the state of urbanisation in Bangkok and its multi-layered future characterised by hybridity, mobility, and simultaneity.

An illustrated monochromatic comic page depicts a futuristic Bangkok cityscape. The scene blends familiar landmarks reimagined in a futuristic setting with advanced architectural features and flying vehicles. The spread includes a group of six women congregated outside a karaoke bar, a megalithic building called the ‘SIAM CENTER’ with a ‘Planet Hollywoods’ sign affixed to its lower reaches, and a man reading a publication titled ‘Bangkok 2542’ with an expression of surprise, surrounded by question marks.

Embedded into the plot is an imaginative response to the ideological tug-of-war related to Bangkok’s urban architecture—an issue that resonated across other Asian cities. When Kosit arrives in the future, he learns that his lover is being held captive at the top of the Sathorn Unique Tower, which is controlled by Medusa.

A single monochromatic comic panel depicting a woman in a cage guarded by a menacing Medusa-like figure. Two men in the foreground taunt the caged woman. Text along the top of the panel reads, in all capitals: ‘THIS DERELICT, NEO-CLASSICAL-STYLE SKYSCRAPER IN THE CENTER OF THE CITY WAS ABANDONED BECAUSE OF THE ECONOMIC CRISIS IN 1997. YET GHOST BUILDING IS NOT JUST THE NAME OF THE BUILDING… IT IS ALSO THE HIDEOUT OF THE INTERNATIONAL TERRORIST DEMONS TRYING TO TAKE OVER BANGKOK. THIS IS WHERE KOSIT’S GIRLFRIEND IS BEING KEPT’.

The snake-haired figure from Greek mythology is not only the antagonist of the story but also symbolises an intrusion from Western classicism into Eastern architecture and culture. To fight Medusa, Kosit uses the power of his love to awaken the once-iconic Bank of Asia headquarters (now United Overseas Bank Bangkok Headquarters), the first high-rise building in Bangkok’s Sathorn business district, popularly known as the Robot Building, which he and his friends then operate to defeat their enemy.

An individual monochromatic comic panel depicts a tower with classical design elements, including a dome, colonnades, arches, and curved verandas. A beam emanates from the tower, accompanied by the onomatopoeia ‘SHOOM!’
An individual monochromatic comic panel depicting an anthropomorphised Robot Building being knocked over by an energy beam. The sound effect ‘BOO O-OOM!’ accompanies the beam. The Robot Building exclaims ‘YAHHHGH!’ as it falls.
An individual monochromatic comic panel depicting crowds of people fleeing a fight scene between two huge buildings, reminiscent of a Godzilla-type battle. Behind the crowds, the Robot Building is depicted as falling, surrounded by dust clouds. The panel is accompanied by onomatopoeia ‘KROM!!’ and ‘SKRAAAKKK’. A speech bubble contains the exclamation ‘OUCH! RUN!!’.

The Robot Building’s victory in the story is a light-hearted yet critical reflection on postmodern architecture within the trajectory of urbanisation in Asia. Identified by its high-tech anthropomorphic form, the Robot Building was designed in 1983 and completed in 1986 by Thai architect Sumet Jumsai, who was inspired by his son’s toy robot.

Two side-by-side images. Left: An architectural plan titled ‘ROBOT BANK’ for Bank of Asia’s head office in Bangkok. Additional text on the poster reads: ‘HEAD OFFICE OF THE BANK OF ASIA SATHORN RD., BANGKOK ARCHITECTS SUMET JUMSAI ASSOCIATES’. Right: Futuristic skyscraper model with robot-like appearance. The plastic structure features receding walls, eye-like windows on the top floor, and antenna-like protrusions on the roof.

Bank of Asia headquarters building (1983–1986), Bangkok, Thailand. Left: Sumet Jumsai, SJA 3D Co., Ltd. (SJA+3D). Axonometric section drawing, 1984. M+, Hong Kong. Gift of Sumet Jumsai, 2018. Right: Presentation model, 1990. M+, Hong Kong. © Sumet Jumsai

Bank of Asia headquarters building (1983–1986), Bangkok, Thailand. Left: Sumet Jumsai, SJA 3D Co., Ltd. (SJA+3D). Axonometric section drawing, 1984. M+, Hong Kong. Gift of Sumet Jumsai, 2018. Right: Presentation model, 1990. M+, Hong Kong. © Sumet Jumsai

Jumsai is one of Southeast Asia’s most prolific architects. Through designs that honour cultural expressions of Thailand and the wider Southeast Asian region and with a sensitivity to materials and inventive designs that prioritise functionality, Jumsai’s practice challenges the dominating model of civilisation from the West.

By constrast, the Sathorn Unique Tower is an example of the Louis XIV style of architecture that originated from France during the 1600s. The building was designed by Rangsan Torsuwan, whose works are often characterised by the expression of postmodern classicism with pastiches of Greek columns, pediments, and other decorative structures. This derelict, neo-classical style skyscraper was abandoned till this day since the Asian financial crisis in 1997.

An unfinished concrete tower rises amid Bangkok’s skyline. Its classical design, with colonnades and arches, contrasts with the surrounding buildings. The weathered facade is covered in vegetation and graffiti, giving it an abandoned appearance.

An aerial drone view of the Sathorn Unique Tower in Bangkok. Photo by Stephen J. Boitano/LightRocket via Getty Images

An aerial drone view of the Sathorn Unique Tower in Bangkok. Photo by Stephen J. Boitano/LightRocket via Getty Images

A single monochromatic comic panel depicts a tower with classical design elements, including a dome, colonnades, arches and curved verandas. Lightning strikes around the building, accompanied by the onomatopoeia ‘SKRASKKKKK’ in spiky lettering.

Sathorn Unique Tower in Cities on the Move: Bangkok

Sathorn Unique Tower in Cities on the Move: Bangkok

In their science-fiction showdown, Rawanchaikul and Tiravanija foregrounded a struggle between design cultures and the belief in the triumph of a context-rooted architectural approach over a unitary, Western-driven vision of development and modernisation.

A long, landscape-oriented poster featuring an array of illustrated figures displayed as a character montage. Text in Thai and English is distributed throughout the design. The phrase ‘Cities on the Move London’ is prominently displayed across the top of the poster in all capitals. Thai-language text fills the margin along the bottom of the poster.

Billboard for Cities on the Move V, Hayward Gallery, London, UK, 1999. Courtesy of the artists

Billboard for Cities on the Move V, Hayward Gallery, London, UK, 1999. Courtesy of the artists

The plot of Cities on the Move: Bangkok is consistent with what Rawanchaikul and Tiravanija depicts in billboard paintings they created for the seven iterations of Cities on the Move in Vienna, Bordeaux, New York, Humlebæk, London, Bangkok, and Helsinki. Distinctive and iconic elements of Bangkok, such as tuk-tuks and the Robot Building, are also featured across all these paintings. This reflects the artists’ positioning of Bangkok being a site and catalyst for a culturally rooted sensitivity and identity, a form of urbanisation that departs from the Western prototypical image.

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A gallery space showcasing a tuk-tuk and a ‘Cities on the Move’ promotional billboard elevated on wooden planks. The room also features an installation of armless fibreglass figures with insect wings and Javanese-style puppet faces suspended from the ceiling.

Exhibition view of artwork by Navin Rawanchaikul and Rirkrit Tiravanija for Cities on the Move I, 1997. Courtesy of Hou Hanru and Asia Art Archive

Exhibition view of artwork by Navin Rawanchaikul and Rirkrit Tiravanija for Cities on the Move I, 1997. Courtesy of Hou Hanru and Asia Art Archive

A white hoarding displays a large ‘Cities on the Move 2’ poster, titled in both Thai and English, overlaid with a number of colourful ‘Cities on the Move’ posters. These posters feature numerous people interspersed with urban scenes of cars on arterial roads and bicycles, styled reminiscently of sci-fi film posters.

Exhibition view of artwork by Navin Rawanchaikul and Rirkrit Tiravanija for Cities on the Move II, 1998. Courtesy of Navin Rawanchaikul & Rirkrit Tiravanija; Hou Hanru and Asia Art Archive

Exhibition view of artwork by Navin Rawanchaikul and Rirkrit Tiravanija for Cities on the Move II, 1998. Courtesy of Navin Rawanchaikul & Rirkrit Tiravanija; Hou Hanru and Asia Art Archive

A train stopped at a station. On the platform wall behind the train, a vibrant promotional poster for ‘Cities on the Move’ features a colourful cast of characters. The train’s destination display reads ‘Farum’.

Public billboard for Cities on the Move IV (Midnight Sun), Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, Humlebeak, Denmark, 1999. Photo courtesy of Navin Production Co., Ltd.

Public billboard for Cities on the Move IV (Midnight Sun), Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, Humlebeak, Denmark, 1999. Photo courtesy of Navin Production Co., Ltd.

An expanse of lawn stretches before an orange and grey building. Along the edge of the lawn, a hoarding displays multiple colourful posters promoting the ‘Cities on the Move’ exhibition. Two figures lie on the lawn in front of the hoardings, embracing.

Public billboard for Cities on the Move V, London, UK, 1999. Photo courtesy of Navin

Public billboard for Cities on the Move V, London, UK, 1999. Photo courtesy of Navin

A tuk-tuk is stationed behind a bus on a busy city street. Viewed from behind, the tuk-tuk features a colourful figure resembling a human, sporting various rag-like fabrics in a running posture affixed to its back. To the right of the figure, a green sign promotes the ‘Cities on the Move’ exhibition.

Bangkok Tuk Tuk, collaborated with guest artists. Cities on the Move VI, Bangkok, Thailand, 1999. Photo courtesy of Navin Production Co., Ltd.

Bangkok Tuk Tuk, collaborated with guest artists. Cities on the Move VI, Bangkok, Thailand, 1999. Photo courtesy of Navin Production Co., Ltd.

A vibrant illustrated poster for ‘Cities on the Move’, styled like a film promotion. It features various figures surrounded by Thai scenes: a robot-like building, long-tail river boats, and a futuristic tuk-tuk. Two central figures dance amid the imagery. The poster includes text in English and Thai.

Billboard for Cities on the Move V, Hayward Gallery, London, UK, 1999. Courtesy of the artists

Billboard for Cities on the Move V, Hayward Gallery, London, UK, 1999. Courtesy of the artists

After Kosit and Aom reunite in the story, they marry and take a flying tuk-tuk to Helsinki, the last stop for Cities on the Move. In real life, Rawanchaikul and Tiravanija mounted a tuk-tuk with cameras and took it to all seven cities of the travelling exhibition. For the final show in Helsinki, the two artists continued their journey by creating a new painting. This work represents a grand finale for Kosit’s story as well as for Cities on the Move.

A monochromatic comic panel shows a tuk-tuk flying over a futuristic city. It is filled with smiling people; a bald man makes a ‘V’ sign. Deity-like figures and a Buddha float in clouds behind. A speech bubble reads: ‘THANKS FOR EVERYTHING! SEE YA IN HELSINKI FOR MORE ADVENTURES!’. The tuk-tuk is accompanied by the sound effect ‘SHOOM’. ‘TO BE CONTINUED…’ is written on a scroll in the corner.

Cities on the Move: Bangkok is currently on view in Things, Spaces, Interactions at M+. Unless otherwise specified, all works are created by Navin Rawanchaikul and Rirkrit Tiravanija. © Navin Rawanchaikul, Rirkrit Tiravanija

Navin Rawanchaikul (b. 1971, Chiang Mai; residing in Chiang Mai and Fukuoka) is an Indian descent Thai artist known for his collaborative approach, aiming to incorporate art into the community’s everyday encounter and focusing on personal history, memory and temporal cognisance in his practice where he utilises various mediums, such as performances, billboards, comics and films. Rawanchaikul’s projects are recognised worldwide, with solo shows held in venues such as MoMA PS1 (New York, 2001), Palais de Tokyo (Paris, 2002), Jim Thompson Art Centre (Bangkok, 2006) and MAXXI (Rome, 2021). His works are housed in the collections of institutions such as Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, M+, Fukuoka Asia Art Museum and Mori Art Museum.

Rirkrit Tiravanija (b. 1961, Buenos Aires; residing in New York, Berlin and Chiangmai) is a Thai artist celebrated for his immersive and interactive installations. His innovative practice spans across performance, participation, and social interaction, redefining traditional art paradigms. As a leading figure in relational aesthetics, his work fosters community engagement and blurs the distinctions among artist, artwork, and audience. Exhibited globally in institutions such as MoMA, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, National Gallery Singapore, Tiravanija has received numerous honours, including the Hugo Boss Prize in 2004. His art highlights the transient nature of experience and the importance of shared, everyday actions.

Credits
Produced by M+
Written by: Christine Lee
English editorial: Dorothy So
Chinese editorial: Amy Leung, Lap-wai Lam
English to Chinese Translation: Erica Leung
Layout: Amy Leung
Special thanks: Chris Sullivan