The term ‘Thai art’ is something of an oxymoron in modern days. Centuries ago, craftsmen produced stunning sculptures, wood carvings, and paintings that illustrate Buddhist texts or honor Buddha, but other than a few artists who are combining traditional Thai elements with modern techniques, contemporary art in Thailand is comprised largely of production line paintings and concrete garden ornaments. Recently, this penchant for kitsch spawned a new museum of sorts in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
Billed as the world’s largest 3-D Art Museum, Art in Paradise features the work of 12 Korean artists who are masters of creating three-dimensional paintings that beg for interaction. My friend Paola and I spent a fun afternoon experimenting with the images that plaster the walls, floors, and in some cases, even the ceilings, trying to find the perfect vantage point for shooting photos that best displayed the illusions. We hopped onto surfboards, wrestled with a giant octopus, and tiptoed across a rope bridge that crossed a yawning chasm. Words simply cannot do it justice, so without further ado, I present the photo gallery below for your entertainment and amusement:
Art in Paradise is a great way to spend an afternoon or even a day, but be sure to bring a friend because the most fun is taking photos of one another. The ‘museum’ is located on Chang Klang Road (near the Ping River) between the Shangri La and Empress Hotels and it is open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. The price for foreigners is 300 baht for adults (about $10 USD) and 200 baht for children.
I thought about checking out this place, but I passed on it … boy, did I ever miss out! Will have to rectify this upon my return to Chiang Mai!
Hope you manage to go, Selma – it’s a lot of fun. But go with a friend, so you can take photos of one another.
This museum looks like so much fun! It’s now on my list.
You’ll love it Corinne!
Okay…you are having WAY too much fun in these photos! How totally cool!
LOL Vonnie – that place was an absolute trip!
All museums should be interactive like this one! Very talented Koreans… Anyway great photos, the pool was my favourite
Thanks LS. I rather like the pool one myself, and a lot of other people have told me the same thing.
Ha how cool is this place. Not what you expect in Chang Mai at all. Looks like so much fun.
It was certainly unexpected Jen, and lots of fun for a day.
Aaagh! I missed this when I was in Chiang Mai a few years ago! Or is it quite a new thing?
It’s fairly new, Shikha. The building used to be a shopping center and I don’t think it’s been open more than a year or two.
Such an interesting museum and such fun-looking pictures! I love the 3D effect of the dolphin painting, and the shark painting looks pretty scary. Very cool!
It was so totally cool, Dana. Spent about six hours there and could have stayed longer.
This is so cool! Makes sad I didn’t get to Chang Mai while living in Southeast Asia. I would have had a blast there! Oh well, looks like just another reason to go back.
Hi Meggie – I just love those “reasons to go back” – something I say all the time 🙂
That looks like a lot of fun. Kind of reminds me of the Madamme Tusaurds wax museums where it’s more about taking photos while posing than the actual wax models themselves.
LOL Chris. I think in this instance the intention was to create something that was totally interactive, and they’ve certainly succeeded.