Phuket art festival: Thai dancers to take over Venice canals

In an unprecedented cultural spectacle, Thai dancers commandeered Venice’s iconic gondolas, leaving locals and tourists in awe as Phuket stakes its claim as the next global art hotspot.

Thailand’s Office of Contemporary Art and Culture, under the Ministry of Culture, held a press conference in Venice, Italy, on Monday, September 2 to promote the Phuket Biennale 2025. Modelled after the illustrious Venice Biennale Art Exhibition, this international contemporary art festival promises to transform Phuket into a pulsating city of art.

Scheduled from November 2025 to April 2026, the Phuket Biennale 2025 will feature works by over 60 Thai and international artists, displayed across various venues around the island. David Teh, the festival’s Artistic Director, unveiled the theme for this edition: Eternal [Kalpa], which delves into the sustainable relationship between humans and nature.

The event aims not only to elevate Phuket’s artistic landscape but also to promote sustainable tourism in the province, already famed as a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy and a world-renowned tourist destination.

One of the press conference’s show-stopping moments was a Rong-Ngeng performance, a traditional dance from Thailand’s southern region, staged aboard a gondola navigating the Venetian canals. This mesmerising display symbolised the fusion of Phuket’s rich cultural heritage with contemporary artistic flair, captivating onlookers and igniting excitement for the forthcoming festival, reported Pattaya Mail.

“We are thrilled to bring a piece of Thailand to Venice. This performance represents our commitment to blending tradition with modernity, much like what attendees can expect at the Phuket Biennale 2025.”

In related news, the IconSiam shopping complex held the Thai Art Toy Fest on August 31. The exhibition showcased Thailand’s rich heritage, all through the lens of art toys.

In other news, in a whirlwind of nostalgia and creativity, three Thai artists, Chanathip Chuenbumroong, Napol Isaracheewa, and Toon Kaewkerd, delve into the cherished memories of childhood to craft mesmerising wood carvings showcased at the exhibition …With A Time Capsule.